You're right they're right whales!

What weighs 47 tons and wears a bonnet? It's a right whale! Read along and I'll tell you all about them.

We recently stayed in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. It is a part of Patagonia that is on the Atlantic Ocean. We went there to see southern right whales, Commerson's dolphins, and Magellanic Penguins. On our first day there we went to see the whales. You see the whales from a small boat with lots of people on it. The first mate was from California so he could tell us about the whales in perfect English! Here are some things I learned!

Different ways Moms help their babies

Right whales migrate to Puerto Madryn from the Antarctic to have their babies in the warmer water. The problem is that the mama whales only eat krill and there is no krill here so the mama doesn't eat for the 5 months she is here with her baby. I would die if I didn't eat for that long because I love eating!

When babies are first learning to breath the moms go under the babies and push them up to start breathing. When the babies want their milk they go under their mom to let them know that they're there and then the mom squirts milk out in to the water and it is so full of fat, that the salt water doesn't mix with milk. Then the baby laps the milk out of the water. Each day the mom gives the baby up to 150 liters of milk. All the time the moms are doing this they are losing thousands of pounds because they can't eat.

The baby and mom have a short relationship because when the babies are 2 they are on their own with the whole ocean of wonders and things that come at them. I would be scared if I were just 2 and out alone. I would at least want to be with my siblings, even though I very much don't like them.

We didn't get a photo of a mama and baby whale, so here is me and mama.

How right whales got their name

The right whales got their name from people who hunted them. Right whales are the right whales to hunt because they trust boats so much that they don't try to get away from them. They also move slowly so they are so easy to hunt. When they are dead they float so the hunters can kill a lot of whales and then scoop up the floating whales on their way back.

This makes me feel sad and it is also interesting. It reminds me of our name stories in kindergarten and this would be the name story for the right whale!

How they get the Ciamids

Do you see the white parts on the whale's head? They are calluses covered with thousands of parasites called ciamids that make them look white. These are called bonnets because they look like a baby bonnet on the whale's head. When I think of parasites I feel like those are gross but the ciamids are actually good for the whale!

The babies are born with the calluses on the top and sides of their heads and they get the ciamids from their mom. Ciamids are also known as whale's lice. Barf! They the whales because the whales are always molting and the ciamids eat their dead skin. Ick! If you get close enough to the whale you can see the whole colony of ciamids. I'm not going to be eating for a few days now.

But do you get my bonnet joke now?

Also in Puerto Madryn we saw Magellanic Penguins! We saw a huge group of them while they were waiting for their babies to hatch. It was amazing!

We also saw Commerson's Dolphins which are black and white and only live here in Patagonia. They were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!

Here is me looking at dolphins...the happiest I've been all year!!!

When I next write I will be in New Zealand!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Ginny!!!!!!!!!!!🥹😉