Half A Brain At A Time For Humpback Whales

Humpback whales are unique in that they breathe voluntarily, unlike humans.

 Picture from Aquarium

Since they have to remember to breathe, researchers believe humpback whales sleep by shutting off half of their brain at a time. While one half of the brain stays awake to make sure the whale breathes and alerts the whale to any danger in its environment, the other half of the brain sleeps.