Baleen

What is Baleen?

Baleen is a special thing found in the mouths of baleen whales. It looks like thin, flat plates made from a substance called keratin, the same material in our fingernails and hair. These plates help whales catch tiny food like krill and small fish.

How Does Baleen Work?

When a whale opens its mouth wide, it takes in lots of water with food inside. Then, the whale pushes the water out through the baleen plates. The water flows out, but the tiny food gets stuck in the baleen, so the whale can eat it easily. The baleen works like a sieve.

Baleen in the Past

Long ago, people used baleen to make many things, like baskets and corset stays. They sometimes called it "whalebone," but it is not really bone. Today, we mostly use other materials like plastic instead. This helps protect the wonderful whales and their baleen.