Blue whales begin the birthing process by traveling to more tropical seas so that they can give birth to their young. Calfs are born tail first and often weigh around 23 pounds at birth and grow very rapidly. "A blue whale calf can increase its weight at the rate of 10 pounds per hour." During the birthing process these calves do not breath at all so there first action after being born is to swim to the surface to catch their breath. They are nursed and weaned within 6-8 months.
In this picture, the mother is likely to be pushing her new baby up to the surface to receive their first breath.
