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I watch a lot of nature documentaries and many feature whales.
Are videos featuring whales generally slow-motion, or are they really that slow due to their huge size? It seems like when there are birds flying near them, they look like normal speed.
I googled this but got nowhere and having never seen a whole whale in person, I really don't know.
Saw a couple backs and fins in Hawaii but that's it.
I watch a lot of nature documentaries and many feature whales.
Are videos featuring whales generally slow-motion, or are they really that slow due to their huge size? It seems like when there are birds flying near them, they look like normal speed.
I googled this but got nowhere and having never seen a whole whale in person, I really don't know.
Saw a couple backs and fins in Hawaii but that's it.
Compared to every other living animal, whales are massive! A female humpback can weigh over 40 tons (an average full sized car weighs about 2 tons). Fins are the earth's second largest whale and can reach a weight near 70 tons. A large African elephant bull only achieves about 7. Though a whale's weight is supported by the water surrounding it, putting that much mass in motion doesn't happen in a blink of an eye.
Last edited by Parnassia; 05-11-2022 at 05:50 PM..
Compared to every other living animal, whales are massive! A female humpback can weigh over 40 tons (an average full sized car weighs about 2 tons). Fins are the earth's second largest whale and can reach a weight near 70 tons. A large African elephant bull only achieves about 7. Though a whale's weight is supported by the water surrounding it, putting that much mass in motion doesn't happen in a blink of an eye.
Yes, I realize how massive they are. So is the answer to my question "Yes" or "no"? Thanks.
Yes, I realize how massive they are. So is the answer to my question "Yes" or "no"? Thanks.
I don't happen to think this is a yes or no question. After all, "slow" is relative. It may not seem slow to the whale (and possibly theirs is the opinion that matters), but it may seem slow to a faster-moving creature like a bird, a fish, a seal, or a human watching a TV documentary .
Good question. I think on some of the nature documentaries that feature whales they often slow down the velocity of the animals on film/video to give the viewers a better perspective of the true size and appearance of the animals in slow motion. But their speeds all vary by species and often by size and shape and the type of activity they're involved in. Swimming really fast in short bursts when they're in danger is actually quite painful for all of the whales and dolphins (cetaceans).
I just looked up these speeds for examples. The very largest of whales, the Blue whale, has a top speed of 31 mph in short bursts when in danger but it typically idles along at 12 mph. A Fin whale's top speed is 29 mph but typically swims at 23 mph (which is still fast for a whale), a Humpback whale can reach 16 mph in bursts but typically cruises along at less than 9 mph, a Beluga whale is fairly small but is pudgy and not built for high speed, it can reach speeds of 17 mph but typically swims less than 6 mph. But a Beluga can swim backwards too. Dolphins can reach 25 mph but typically swim 7 mph. An Orca (actually the largest of dolphins) can reach a top speed of 35 mph but typically cruises along at 8 mph.
Almost all nature documentaries use slow motion photography. Its a tool of the trade and eats up the clock while looking "cool" to people who want stuff that looks cool more than factual documentation
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Dolphins can reach 25 mph but typically swim 7 mph. An Orca (actually the largest of dolphins) can reach a top speed of 35 mph but typically cruises along at 8 mph.
