Squeeze Whale Food
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This is map 10 of 17 of the SWF Map Pack.
WHAT DO WHALES EAT?
When it comes to survival few things are as important as shelter, rest and food.
For marine mammals such as whales food is not only extremely important for their survival it’s also important for maintaining balance in the oceans ecosystem.
In order for whales to capture their food these marine mammals search and hunt for their prey using a variety of techniques in order to locate, isolate and immobilize their prey for easy consumption.
Because there are around 90 different animals within the cetacean family it is important to understand that not all species of whale hunt or attack their prey in the same way.
Depending on the whales size, social structure, environment, species and type (baleen or toothed) their diets can change drastically from small aquatic life forms such as fish, shrimp, larvae, plankton, crabs, krill and squid to large marine mammals (which are generally consumed by killer whale) such as sea lions, walruses, seals, sharks, seabirds and even large whales.
One of the most useful abilities whales use when hunting for food is known as echolocation.
Echolocation is a trait that is found in all species of toothed whale.
Echolocation works by emitting a series of clicking and busing noises and then listening to the echos that bounce off of objects in the area (such as fish or other aquatic life forms).
The amount of time it takes the echo to return to the whale can provide these marine mammals with vital information such as how far the object is, how dense it is, whether it is hard or soft, and whether or not the object is moving or still.
By using echolocation whales are able to determine whether the object is prey, a predator or an inanimate object.
These amazing marine mammals will continue to create these sounds until they find the prey they are looking for and then decide the best method for hunting and attacking their prey.
In addition to helping toothed whales find food echolocation is also useful for navigating the ocean in dark environments as the echoes create a map of the environment which can help the whale determine where various objects are so that it can avoid collision with them.
Since echolocation rely’s heavily on sound these marine mammals do not have to use their eyes when they are traveling or searching for prey, so it is a perfect skill to use when diving in waters that are void of any light.
In fact echolocation can be thought of as a highly advanced version of sonar that not only displays where a single object is in relation to the host but also provides highly detailed information about all of the objects in the area in a somewhat three dimensional way.
WHAT DO WHALES EAT?
When it comes to survival few things are as important as shelter, rest and food.
For marine mammals such as whales food is not only extremely important for their survival it’s also important for maintaining balance in the oceans ecosystem.
In order for whales to capture their food these marine mammals search and hunt for their prey using a variety of techniques in order to locate, isolate and immobilize their prey for easy consumption.
Because there are around 90 different animals within the cetacean family it is important to understand that not all species of whale hunt or attack their prey in the same way.
Depending on the whales size, social structure, environment, species and type (baleen or toothed) their diets can change drastically from small aquatic life forms such as fish, shrimp, larvae, plankton, crabs, krill and squid to large marine mammals (which are generally consumed by killer whale) such as sea lions, walruses, seals, sharks, seabirds and even large whales.
One of the most useful abilities whales use when hunting for food is known as echolocation.
Echolocation is a trait that is found in all species of toothed whale.
Echolocation works by emitting a series of clicking and busing noises and then listening to the echos that bounce off of objects in the area (such as fish or other aquatic life forms).
The amount of time it takes the echo to return to the whale can provide these marine mammals with vital information such as how far the object is, how dense it is, whether it is hard or soft, and whether or not the object is moving or still.
By using echolocation whales are able to determine whether the object is prey, a predator or an inanimate object.
These amazing marine mammals will continue to create these sounds until they find the prey they are looking for and then decide the best method for hunting and attacking their prey.
In addition to helping toothed whales find food echolocation is also useful for navigating the ocean in dark environments as the echoes create a map of the environment which can help the whale determine where various objects are so that it can avoid collision with them.
Since echolocation rely’s heavily on sound these marine mammals do not have to use their eyes when they are traveling or searching for prey, so it is a perfect skill to use when diving in waters that are void of any light.
In fact echolocation can be thought of as a highly advanced version of sonar that not only displays where a single object is in relation to the host but also provides highly detailed information about all of the objects in the area in a somewhat three dimensional way.
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