Photo credit: Matthew Field
1. Blubber in marine mammals contains blood vessels and is adapted to serve as an adjustable warming and cooling mechanism.
2. The distribution of blubber in certain areas provides some marine mammals a more streamlined and hydrodynamic body shape.
3. Blubber serves as a source of water for marine mammals, which is crucial during fasting periods!
4. For keeping warm in cold water, blubber is much more effective than fur. Fur relies on trapping pockets of air among hairs to create a layer of insulation, but this air is lost during deep dives. In the ocean, blubber is the way to go.
Hi, my daughter is doing a science project about whale blubber. she would like to ask you a questions.
What is whale blubber made out of?
Hi Yaritza, Apologies for the delayed response, but here’s the answer: “blubber is composed of fact cells called adipocytes.” That answer is taken from the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals Second Edition.
Hey I’m doing a science project and I want to know how much does blubber weigh????Any ideas on how much it weighs?????
Hi Tiffany, I double checked the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals and there is no mention of how much blubber on marine mammals weighs. Sorry I wasn’t able to help more.