a whale is a large mammal that lives in the ocean. They use the viviparous way of reproduction, reproduction after a longer time, because they will have a longer pregnancy, but also lactation. Generally speaking, a female whale can breed once every 2-3 years.
Specifically, different whales have different breeding seasons, some in February-April and some in the hotter July-August months. After mating, most whales have a gestation period of about 12 months, and some have a longer gestation period of about 14 months. After giving birth, whales still have a period of lactation, which is at least about six months. Some whales have a longer lactation period, more than a year. It can be seen that the long gestation period and lactation period are the main reasons for the long reproductive time of whales.
As mentioned above, the time required for each reproduction of whales is relatively long, so that they can only reproduce once every 2-3 years. In addition, whales can only produce one calf per litter. Compared with the fish in the surrounding ocean, the whale's reproductive capacity is not particularly strong. Newborn baby whales go through a long period of lactation. During this stage, they are protected by females, sometimes not just the mother, but also other females, to protect the calf.
