Male blue whales fight for a mate

Three blue whales were caught in a mating battle in the waters off the southern Australian town of Port Macdonnell.

A female whale tries to escape from two males. Photo: Blue Whale Study

Two male whales chased and rammed each other in a competitive effort to attract females. The rare behavior was recorded by members of the local Blue Whale Study during an aerial survey, Newsweek reported on April 4.

During the survey, three blue whales were seen engaging in chase behaviour, with an adult female being pursued at high speeds by two potential mates, according to the Blue Whale Study, a Canadian study. Researchers have only observed such a phenomenon once before in the area, in 2003. In the Bonney Upwelling region, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the ocean surface during the summer months, bringing with it a wealth of plankton that attracts whales.

"The female whale constantly changes speed and direction while the two males do their best to keep up with her, while also trying to take each other's place. It's a great show of strength. We circled around for about 15 minutes, then left them to continue the race," the team said.

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, reaching lengths of over 30 meters and weighing 200 tons. Its heart alone weighs as much as a car. Blue whales are filter feeders, feeding mainly on krill and plankton. They gulp down huge gulps of water, then use their baleen plates to filter out the krill. The species was heavily hunted throughout the 20th century, causing its population to decline significantly. It is now listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

Blue whales likely swim from their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean to their breeding grounds off Indonesia, pairing off in preparation for mating. Whales can travel at great speeds during chases, and males are prone to crashing into each other as they chase females.

An Khang (According to Newsweek )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/doi-ca-voi-xanh-duc-kich-chien-gianh-ban-tinh-4730729.html