iPhone 14 Pro Max
ƒ/1.78
6.86 mm
1/5,525
80

My son and I hauled it a mile from where it washed up on the beach… and it was quite heavy. I suspected it might be a chunk of baleen when I saw it, but I have never seen in the flesh before, so to speak. Whales take in huge mouthfuls of sea water and then expel the water through these parallel keratin planks that end in thick hairs, which catch the krill that they dine on.

4 responses to “Humpback Whale Baleen Section”

  1. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    Baleen plates of the humpback whales, which we often see cruising between Baja Mexico (calving) and Alaska (good eating):And it has found its home in our garden of oddities:

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  2. Josh Thompson Avatar
    Josh Thompson

    Neat find!

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  3. sbove Avatar
    sbove

    "scientists studying whale development have discovered that, in the womb, baleen whales develop teeth and then reabsorb them…baleen is made of keratin (the same material that comprises hair and fingernails) …small canals in the upper jaw supply the baleen-bearing gum tissue with blood. The baleen plates are worn down by the whale’s tongue, but they also grow back like fingernails. Whales have hundreds of baleen plates. For example, the humpback whale has 400 baleen plates, each of which is 25 inches to 30 inches long (64 cm to 76 cm), 13 inches (33 cm) wide and less than 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick. They are not designed to be shed! Like nails and hair, baleen are composed of keratin and grow (and wear) continuously…"** So this find is unfortunately probably from a whale that met its demise… **this is a composite quote from several sources…

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  4. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    [https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenbove] fascinating, thanks!

    Reply

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