The answer as to whether or not whales can sneeze requires going into a bit more depth than giving a simple yes or no answer, as whales breathe differently than land animals.
Humans are unconscious breathers meaning we do not have to think about breathing or manually control our breathing.
When a human sneezes, it is an unconscious and reflexive response to an irritant inhaled into the mouth or nose.
The involuntary sneeze we humans experience is the body’s way of removing possible irritants or toxins from our air passages or respiratory system.
This may include dust or other small particles inhaled while breathing.
On the other hand, whales are considered conscious breathers, which means they must always be aware of their breathing because they could drown if they accidentally breathe in water.
If a whale sneezes underwater, it could cause the water to enter the whale’s lungs, leading to drowning.
Because of this, whales have developed a way to control their breathing so they do not involuntarily sneeze underwater.
Although whales do not sneeze the way land mammals do, whales have been observed coughing or exhaling oxygen quickly when sick or suffering from a respiratory infection.
Both coughing and exhaling are controlled by the whale and are voluntary.
By coughing or exhaling quickly, whales can remove possible debris or germs affecting their lungs or respiratory system.
In addition to the fact that whales have consistent manual control over their breathing, these fantastic animals also breathe differently than those land mammals.
Unlike most land mammals, whales do not breathe through their mouth.
Instead, their air passage and lung passage are entirely separate, allowing the whale to consume food without the fear of accidentally breathing water into its lungs.
The food passage is located in the whale’s mouth allowing it to consume food, while the air passage is found on the top of its head through its blowhole(s).
A whale can easily take in oxygen without lifting its head entirely out of the water by having a blowhole on its head.
So, to sum up, in this article, whales do not involuntarily sneeze as land animals do.
Still, they can cough and exhale oxygen at a breakneck pace to clear their air passage and lungs of debris, germs, and other irritants.
In addition to whales, dolphins and porpoises are also able to control their ability to sneeze.
All three groups are marine mammals and belong to the cetacean family, which means they all share similar physiological and intellectual characteristics.