Biodiversity #6 – The Whale has been around for 40 million years, its closest living relative is the hippo! An air breathing mammal that lives in the ocean. Toothed whales use echolocation and can generate up to 20,000 watts of sound. Spindle neurons, which in humans are responsible for social behaviour, are found in the same areas of the whale brain suggesting they perform the same function. The Blue Whale is the largest living animal. Prior to exploitation by man, there were an estimated 275,000 blue whales; now there are fewer than 5,000 ~ 1.8% left. Scott Portelli runs trips to see whales in Tonga. Here’s one of his amazing pictures.
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