2. The ice-cold water near the South Pole is the summer home of the largest animals that have ever lived—whales. That’s right. The blue whale, the giant of the whale family, can grow to be bigger than two dinosaurs. It can be heavier than twelve elephants. Its eye might be the size of a small child.

3. Though whales look much like fish, they are not fish. They breathe through their lungs. They must hold their breath underwater. If they stay under water too long, they will drown. That makes them very different from fish.

4. If the whale is not a fish, then what is it? It is a mammal just as you are. It has hair, though very little of it. It is warm-blooded. Baby whales are not hatched from an egg but are born alive. And the baby whale is fed on its mother’s milk like other little mammals.

5. Whales are too big to keep in zoos. Most people never see one. If only you could watch them at sea! Whales usually rise to breathe every five or ten minutes, but they may stay under water for about forty-five minutes.

6. When they come up for air, they make quite a noise, which can be heard for some distance. They blow out the air they have held in their lungs. It is warm air. When it hits cooler air, it turns to steam. The steam pours out of a hole on the top of the whale’s head. This is called the whale’s spout.

7. The full-grown blue whale gets food in a strange way. Some whales have teeth, but not the blue whale. Instead, it has a kind of curtain that hangs from the roof of its mouth. It is made of fine whalebone. When the whale wants to feed, it opens its mouth wide and swims at full speed ahead.

8. Soon its huge mouth is filled with water. In the water are thousands of tiny sea animals and plants. The whale then closes its mouth and pushes the water out with its tongue. The water shoots out through the curtain. But the food stays trapped in the whale’s mouth. It takes many mouthfuls to fill up such a big animal.

9. For much of the year whales live in warm seas. That is where baby whales are born. But warm waters are not as rich in food as cold waters. So when the baby whales are strong enough, the whales move south.

10. Blue whales may swim halfway around the world to reach the waters near the South Pole. Their smooth skin helps them swim quickly. They rest by taking short naps as they float on top of the water. Finally, they reach the cold sea. And the summer feast begins. The food there will make them fat and will help them live through the coming year.