Whales’ Ability to Gulp Massive Quantities of Water Tied to Their Giant Size, Say Scientists

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Scientists have discovered a new sensory organ on blue, humpback, minke and fin whales that helps explain their huge size, according to AFP.

Comprising a node of nerves, the organ orchestrates dramatic changes in jaw position that are essential for “lunge” feeding by the rorqual family of whales, Earth’s biggest vertebrates.

These whales plunge into banks of krill, gulping up tonnes of water at one go and filtering it in seconds to get the tiny crustaceans needed for food.

A 50-tonne fin whale, the second-longest whale on the planet, can swoosh through 80 tonnes of water in one operation, netting 10 kilos (22 pounds) of krill in the process.

Read the full story here. 

(Hawaiian humpback whales can measure a staggering sixty feet in length, according to NOAA.)

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