Enormous Baird’s Beaked Whale Calves Must Learn to Dive Into the Abyss Within Months

A newborn must master mile-deep dives before its first year ends.

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Many deep-diving whale species nurse for extended periods, providing energy-dense milk that supports rapid growth and oxygen-storage development.

Calves of Baird’s beaked whales are born in offshore waters and must rapidly develop diving capacity to accompany their mothers into deep hunting grounds, where food is located far below the surface.

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Unlike terrestrial mammals that learn survival skills on stable ground, these calves must adapt to plunges into cold, high-pressure darkness where oxygen management is critical and mistakes can be fatal.

This accelerated development underscores how life in the deep ocean compresses learning curves and survival demands, forcing even young giants to operate in one of Earth’s most extreme environments almost immediately after birth.

Source

Smithsonian Ocean Portal

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