The largest animals on earth are whales. These mammals can reach 35 meters in length and weigh more than 150 tons. Such dimensions allow them to easily conquer great depths and the most severe oceans. However, this raises a well-founded question: how do the whales mate? After all, with such body proportions, it should be difficult for partners to find a convenient position for intercourse, especially considering the fact that the whole process takes place in the vast waters of the ocean.
Puberty and mating periods
Most cetaceans reach puberty at 3-6 years of age. True, by this age they have not yet acquired their true value. Therefore, it often happens that young males are left without female attention during mating games. They can only hope that upon completion of all the preludes, there will still be one or two untouched females in the area. But the most popular are males aged 12 to 25 years. By the standards of cetaceans, this is the most reproductive age.
The mating season varies depending on the habitat and species of cetaceans. For example, blue whales mate in the fall or winter, but the Southern Hemisphere humpback whales prefer to make “love” only at the height of the warm season. At the same time, males are always ready for mating, regardless of the time of year, and only ovulation in females occurs according to the calendar cycle.
Whale mating ritual
The mating ritual is similar for all cetaceans. Individuals ready for breeding are collected in one place. The main role in these games is played by males. It is they who are trying to attract the attention of the female they like. Quite often it happens that one gentleman is looked after by several gentlemen. In this case, she either selects the most attractive, or mates with them in turn. It should be noted that males do not show aggression towards competitors, on the contrary, they are doing their best to help each other in the process of seduction.
The mating of whales takes place at the surface. In this case, sexual intercourse is possible only in a position when both partners are turned to each other with a belly. It is the process of tuning that takes the greatest amount of time. As for the sexual intercourse itself, it occurs rather quickly, since the two giants can not swim in the water for a long time in this position.