Like cows and camels, baby whales are called calves. The parent whales, like humans, spend a great deal of time nursing their young. Some species such as the humpback whale nurse just a few hours after birth and still nurse for a year or more.
Killer whales nurse at all hours, but only briefly. for a few seconds at a time, although this adds These brief nursing sessions add up to an average of 1 1/2 a day. Calves may be large but they are dependent on their mothers for some time staying close to their mothers not just while nursing but to learn their way around the sea.
Young whales are called a calf. The birth of a new baby whale, known as a calf, usually occurs during the birth season for that specific type of whale. Orcas, for example, tend to give birth in the spring or fall, while blue and humpback whales do so in the winter.
A whale calf suckles from nipples concealed in its mother's abdominal mammary slits. Calves nurse under water. A baleen whale calf nurses for 4 to 11 months. Humpback calves 'whisper' to avoid being heard by killer whales. A female that is mature will generally have a new calf every 2 or 3 years.