Abstract
WHALES, when breathing, usually keep on the move ; the purpose of this letter is to explain why. All aquatic air-breathing creatures have to contend with the risk of water entering their lungs. Although the blow-holes of whales are valvular and situated on the highest part of the head, these animals, usually, can only breathe with safety when their blow-holes are at some height above the surface of the sea.
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References
"The Spouting and Movements of Whales", Annual Report of Smithsonian Institution, 1903.
"Journal of a Voyage", p. 287.
"Voyage of the Lady Franklin and Sophia", 2, 324 ; 1850–51.
"Arctic Regions", 1, 494.
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GRAY, R. Breathing Movements of Whales. Nature 133, 797–798 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133797b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133797b0
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