Blubber

Remains of seventeenth century blubber cauldrons at the abandoned Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg in Svalbard, Norway

This article is about the body tissue. For the fictional bear called Blubber, see Wacky Races

Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized fat found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians. It covers the whole body, except for the appendages, loosely attached to the musculature. It can comprise up to 50% of the body mass of some marine mammals during some points in their lives. Blubber serves several different functions, it is the primary area of fat on marine mammals, and essential for storing energy. It is particularly important for species (such as the Humpback Whale) which feed and breed in different parts of the ocean. During these periods the species are operating on a fat-based metabolism.

Blubber is, however, biochemically different from other forms of adipose tissue, which allows it to serve as an efficient thermal insulator, making it an essential for thermoregulation. It has advantages over fur (as used in Sea Otters) in this respect; fur can retain heat by holding pockets of air, but under pressure (while diving) the air pockets will be expelled. Blubber, however, does not compress under pressure. It can also aid in buoyancy, and acts to streamline the body.

Blubber forms an important part of the traditional eskimo diet because of its high energy value. One of the major reasons for the whaling trade was the collection of whale blubber. This was rendered down into oil in giant cauldrons or later, in vats on factory ships.

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