Blubber is important for most marine mammals, such as whales and seals. The thick layer of fat provides insulation from cold ocean temperatures. Blubber is also important because it stores energy that can be broken down to provide the animal energy when food is unavailable.

How thick is blubber on whales?

The thickness of the blubber coat varies among species and time of year: for example, humpback whales generally have blubber layers around 6 inches thick, while after their feeding season right whales can have a blubber layer up to 50cm thick! Thicker blubber layers also makes certain species more buoyant.

Do whales and dolphins have blubber?

This means that to stay warm in the ocean, they rely heavily on their blubber for insulation. Other marine mammals like whales and walruses also have thick layers of blubber under their skin for keeping warm -- without it, dolphins couldn't retain the body heat they need to survive in cooler waters.