How do whales sleep underwater?

Something tells me that the question, “How do whales sleep underwater?” does not penetrate your mind much. But if you think about it, you really want to know! After all, if marine mammals whales still have to surface to breathe which seems difficult during a long siesta!

Let’s see how whales sleep!

How do whales sleep?

Among cetaceans (a group that includes: dolphins and porpoises), whales are the behemoth. they are too mammals and they have lungs that need oxygen, so whales have to break through the surface of the water to breathe.

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The blue whale, the largest animal in the world, can weigh up to 440,000 lbs. So how can something so huge that needs air in its lungs sleep without drowning?

Here are two ways whales sleep underwater:

• Standing still on, near, or further away from the surface.
• Swimming slowly next to another animal.

It is important to note that whales sleep different than most land mammals. While many terrestrial mammals have evolved adaptations that allow them to sleeping standing up, whales have an adaptation that allows them to rest while still breathing — which can be every 3 to 15 minutes, depending on the whale species.

How do whales’ brains and bodies work while they sleep?

It’s easy to think there’s only one way to sleep – as humans do, but that’s not the case with every creature.

As said, one of the ways whales sleep is on or near the water’s surface. It’s a behavior called “logging” because they’re so quiet they could be mistaken for one.

Another way they sleep that has been recorded is by hanging upside down without moving or breathing. Human breathing is unconscious. A whale is not. Cetaceans need to consciously know when to breathe, as they need both oxygen and water.

They also only use half of their brains to sleep and the other half to stay awake at the same time. Talk about compartmentalization. Whales often only close one eye. The reasons could be that they need to stay alert to predators and also because they can’t lose too much body temperature, which of course affects sleep.

How long they sleep depends on the species. Scientists have found that some take a nap in 10-15 minute increments. (Cat naps?) But humpback whales have been found sleeping on the surface for up to ½ hour.

While much more research is needed on whales’ sleeping habits, different species are believed to have different sleep needs. For example, sperm whales are believed to sleep less than two hours a day, while some dolphin species sleep as much as humans, or 8 hours a day.

How whale calves sleep

Did you know that calves (baby whales) can really sink, if not for one thing: their mother! Whale mothers do not stop swimming for several weeks of a calf’s life. If she does, her baby can sink because they don’t have the mud/fat needed to float.

While the mother swims, her calf rests, eats and sleeps in her slipstream. It’s called echelon swimming. It’s like driving behind a semi on the highway. The aerodynamics are such that it creates a kind of suction that pulls you along.

The fry are not yet able to swim long distances, so their mother goes with them to teach them and help them build their strength and fat reserves. Remember that if a calf is weak from swimming too much, they could endanger themselves and the pod as predators can be warned.

Sleeping habits for sperm whales

There are stunningly remarkable photos of sleeping whales. In 2017, photographer Franco Banfi . snapped a photo of a group of sleeping sperm whales when he was freediving (without breathing apparatus). They were motionless and lay vertically to the surface. It would be hard to believe if there were no photographic evidence of it.

Banfi was diving off the coast of Dominica when he suddenly found himself among the sleeping giants. They floated about 65 feet below the surface.

However, it was not the first time the behavior was seen. In 2008, researchers published a study detailing this bizarre sleeping habit that had been observed in the wild. They also reported that the whales did not breathe or move while they slept.

AND FINALLY…

How whales sleep underwater needs much more research and is far from complete. Phrases like, “A general assumption…” and “It’s not clear whether…” and “…still a matter of discussion” kept coming up as I researched.

There just isn’t much information available on the subject!

We may never know the sleeping behavior of every species of whale, but maybe it’s not so earth-shattering that we don’t understand everything that happens in the vast world of the ocean. I think the whales have everything under control.