News Animals

Why some whales are giants and others are just big

The animals’ sizes depend on feeding style and prey availability, researchers say

whale

In a new study of foraging behaviors and body size, scientists attached sensors to more than 100 individual cetaceans (two humpback whales off Antarctica in 2018, shown) and tracked them over a decade.

Goldbogen Lab./Stanford Univ., Duke Univ. Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing. Photo taken under permit ACA/NMFS #14809

By Jonathan Lambert

Sophisticated sensors suction-cupped onto the backs of whales are helping biologists answer two long-standing questions: Why are whales so big? And why aren’t they bigger?

Being big in general boosts whales’ ability to reach more food for less effort, helping them exploit the riches of the deep sea that are beyond the reach of many other creatures.