Page 131 - The World of Animals

for migration, which is due to
start in March.

Like other mammals, the whale also
nurses her babies. But, the babies cannot suck

milk since they run the risk of swallowing seawater. As
we mentioned before, salty seawater is injurious to whales.

Interestingly, as with the dolphin, a muscle surrounds the milk glands
of female whales. When the mother whale contracts this muscle, the

resultant pressure enables the mother to spray the milk directly into her
baby's mouth. This milk is dissimilar to the milk with which we are

familiar. It is almost in a solid state and is quite fatty. Thanks to these
features, the milk never mixes with the seawater. This substance the
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baby drinks–in fact, "eats"–dissolves in the stomach. This dissolved
food also meets the water needs of the baby whale. As we have seen,

Allah has provided baby whales with the most perfect nourishment.
The greasy, transparent secretion covering the eyes of the whale

protects it from the harmful effects of the seawater. The whale has a keen
sense of touch and hearing. It finds its direction in water by following the

echoes of the sounds it makes. The working principle of this sense is similar
to that of radar. In fact, this feature of whales has become the inspiration

for the development of radar. Scientists believe that these sounds made by
the whales constitute a very complex language. This language is

important in the interaction and communication among them.