Listening for Whales Approaching_P01

Whales are my favorite animal. They live in oceans and spend most of their lives underwater, but they are mammals. They are also the biggest living things on Earth. The biggest animal to have ever lived is the blue whale. The blue whale is huge! It weighs more than 170 tons. It is longer than two school buses!

Whales live in oceans. Oceans cover most of our planet. Whales have been living in oceans for millions of years. Ancient whales have many things in common with whales today. This extinct whale lived 45 million years ago. It was a predator, hunting its food. There are many whales today that are also predators. This ancient whale was also a mammal.

I know a lot about whales. I read all I can about them. Today, I am going on a whale-watching trip with my family. I will get to see living whales for the first time! Before now, I have only seen them in pictures or on TV. But today, we will take a boat and look for whales.

The boat travels really far from land. We go so far that we can barely see dry land. The captain gives us some good news. He tells us the water is just right for whales today.

I’m excited as I gaze out at the ocean. The captain says to watch for ripples and spray. This means that whales are coming to the surface to breathe. They can only hold their breath underwater for so long. We suddenly see a spray of mist break the water’s surface! The captain says it is our lucky day. It’s a blue whale!