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Aug 26, 2021 · The location of their “nose”, the blowhole, on the top of their head allows them to exchange breathing air efficiently during the sometimes brief surfacing. But how does the blowhole of whales and dolphins actually get on top of the head?
As whales reach the water surface to breathe, they forcefully expel air through the blowhole. The exhalation is released into the comparably lower-pressure, colder atmosphere, and any water vapor condenses.
Whales cannot breathe through their mouth because, unlike terrestrial mammals, their digestive system and respiratory system are not connected. The blowhole leads to the nasopharynx, or nasal duct.
May 13, 2024 · How did whales evolve from land to water? The lineage of whales presents a fascinating evolutionary story , with their ancestors transitioning from land to a fully aquatic existence. Fossil discoveries have been instrumental in piecing together this complex journey.
Sep 22, 2020 · This is how water and pollutants can enter the animals’ respiratory tracts, scientists conclude. A humpback whale spouts water from its blowhole. New research shows the blowhole isn’t as protective as scientists had thought, and water and pollutants may be getting into whales’ lungs.
Sep 5, 2020 · The purpose of having their blowhole on top of their head is for the convenience of not having to lift their entire head out of the water to get a breath. In fact a whale can’t even breathe through its mouth it can only breathe through its blowhole.
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For whales, breathing through nostrils sited in the customary position on the front of the face would be highly inefficient as it would require lifting the head up out of the water. Which is why cetacean nostrils have migrated to the top of the head to become blowholes.