Dolphins and whales? How do they get fresh water into their systems?

Question

There mammals so don't they need fresh water?

sea water would kill but they can survive why is that?

Answer 1

That is their home silly. Just like polar bears survive at the poles, camels survive in the deserts, whales and dolphines also survive in the seas.

Answer 2

These are exact copies from the sites listed...

google works great for questions like this too!

Most dolphins live in the ocean and the ocean water is too salty for them to drink. If they would drink sea water, they would actually use more water trying to get rid of the salt than they drank in the first place. Most of their water they get from their food (fish and squid). Also, when they metabolise (burn) their fat, water is released in the process. Their kidneys are also adapted to retaining as much water as possible. Although they live in water, they have live as desert animals, since they have no direct source of drinkable water.

Whales and dolphins almost never drink sea water. There is too much salt in

sea water for their kidneys to process. They can generate all the fresh

water they need internally by metabolizing fats. It is possible for a marine

mammal to generate one ounce of fresh water internally for each ounce of fat

metabolized. This is done by fixing carbon dioxide to the fats.

So to be more plain about it whales can make fresh water from the food they

eat.

Sorry for my tendency to make things too complex,

Answer 3

Dolphins are whales are adapted to sea water.  Sea water can kill us because we aren't adapted to it.