Do whales nurse their young?
Yes. Cetaceans have internalized their mammary glands and the nipples reside inside mammary slits, one on either side of the genital slit. The nipples are exposed by reflex when the calf nuzzles the mother. Whale milk is much richer than cow’s milk, and is about the consistency of cottage cheese. It’s about 50% fat, 12% protein and 2% sugar. Because the milk is so rich and thick, it can be squirted from the everted nipple of the mother into the mouth of the calf without much loss by dilution in the surrounding sea water. Whales, dolphins and porpoises all nurse their young this way.
