Yes, whales, as mammals, possess nipples, though they are often concealed. Like all mammals, whales nurse their young with milk produced by mammary glands, making nipples a fundamental biological characteristic.
The Anatomy of Whale Nipples
Unlike terrestrial mammals where nipples are often outwardly visible, whale nipples are typically recessed or hidden within mammary slits or grooves on their underside. This adaptation helps maintain the whale's streamlined body shape, which is crucial for efficient movement through water.
- Both sexes have them: While female whales utilize their nipples for nursing their calves, males also possess nipples. For instance, all male blue and fin whales, from the foetal stage through adulthood, have nipples that are typically hidden within a pair of specialized nipple grooves.
- Nursing mechanism: When a whale calf is ready to feed, it nudges the mother's mammary slit. The mother then uses strong muscles to contract and squirt milk directly into the calf's mouth. Whale calves do not "suckle" in the traditional sense, but rather receive streams of rich, high-fat milk [^1^].
- Location: These mammary slits are generally located on the belly of the whale, on either side of the genital opening.
The ability to produce milk and nurse their young is a defining feature of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), underscoring their classification as mammals [^2^].
[^1^]: Learn more about how marine mammals nurse: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/mammal-milk.html
[^2^]: For general information about whales: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/whale
