What is a baby whale called?

A baby whale is called a calf.

Whales are mammals, so their young are born alive and nourished with milk rather than hatched from eggs. A mother whale nurses her calf underwater by directing rich, fatty milk into its mouth. The milk’s high fat content helps the newborn build blubber, an essential layer of insulation in cold ocean water.

Most whale species usually produce a single calf at a time. Gestation commonly lasts around 12 months, although the exact period varies among species. Mothers provide close care for a prolonged period: many calves remain dependent on their mothers for roughly one to two years while learning to swim, surface for air, find food, and avoid predators.

The word calf is also used for the young of several other large mammals, including cattle, elephants, giraffes, and some seals. A whale calf should not be confused with a “calf” in anatomy, which is the muscular lower-back part of the human leg.