Chemical Engineering in Daily Life – Question 81: What causes whales to spout water?
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When traveling along the west Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, one of the most important activities is watching whales. Actually, you can’t see much when watching whales; it’s just the guide talking nonsense. But when the weather and season are good, it’s natural to see whales spouting. Some sprayed water in one stream, while others sprayed it in two streams ； Some spray forward at an angle, while others spray straight upward ； Some can spray a water column only one meter high, while others can spray one 6 to 7 meters high. When a large group of whales appears, whether of the same species or different ones, the spouting occurs one after another (in fact, it isn’t very frequent; it’s the continuous shouting by people that creates that atmosphere). We humans only have two eyes, and they are located at the front; it would be amazing to have 8 eyes). It would be spectacular. It seems that whales are the oldest, most primitive, greatest, and most famous spitters. All of us netizens can only appear inferior in comparison. Please explain what happens with the whale spouts you see and hear
In fact, they are undergoing gas exchange; they also breathe through their lungs
Is it because whales are large in size and have a large capacity for breathing, which means they expel more water with greater force when breathing, and that’s why the phenomenon of water columns occurs?
Whales are mammals; they breathe with lungs. When breathing, whales must rise to the surface of the sea to expel waste gases and inhale air directly from the atmosphere. The whale’s blowhole is located right at the top of its body; when it exhales waste gas, the airflow causes the water surrounding the blowhole to be sprayed upward, giving the impression that the whale is spouting water
Breathing and ventilation! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
What was said above is correct – it’s for ventilation! !