Cetaceans

Hello. I am a cetacean, and I am so happy to meet you. Being a cetacean means I am part of a very big family that lives in the ocean. My family includes all the whales, dolphins, and porpoises in the world. We are all related. My home is the big, beautiful, blue ocean, and there is nothing I love more than swimming through the water. It feels like flying. I love to leap and splash and feel the waves all around me. It is wonderful to know that I belong to such a large and ancient family that has called the ocean home for a very, very long time. We swim together, play together, and explore the deep blue sea every single day.

I have a fun secret to share with you about my family. A very long time ago, around 50 million years ago, my great-great-great-great-grandparents did not live in the water. They lived on land. Isn't that surprising? Over millions of years, my ancestors slowly changed to become perfect for living in the sea. They traded their legs for strong flippers that help us steer through the water like rudders on a boat. They also grew a powerful tail that moves up and down, pushing us forward so we can swim fast and dive deep. We changed from land animals to expert swimmers, and now the ocean is the perfect home for us.

Even though I live in the water, I am a mammal, not a fish. This means I need to breathe air, just like you do. I can't breathe underwater, so I have a special nose on the top of my head called a blowhole. When I need to take a breath, I swim to the surface of the ocean and push the air out of my blowhole with a big whoosh. Then I take a new breath in before diving back down. I live with my family in a group called a pod, and we always stick together to help and protect one another. We talk to each other all the time. We use special sounds like clicks, whistles, and even beautiful songs that can travel for miles and miles through the water to reach our friends and family.

My family and I have a very important job in the ocean. We help keep it healthy and balanced. Many years ago, people realized how important we are. In the year 1946, a special group was created to help protect whales and all of my relatives. It makes me happy to know that humans are helping us. We all share this wonderful blue planet, and it is up to all of us to take care of it. A healthy ocean is a happy home for me, my family, and for everyone.