This may be the first time you’ve ever been OK with the notion of being compared to a whale.

A new study, reported by USA Today, finds that whales, like humans, tan in order to protect themselves from sunburn.

Because of their lighter skin color, its necessary for blue whales to get a tan for their  summer migrations to the Gulf of California. The research showed that Blue Whales with higher levels of melanin suffered less “mtDNA UV-induced damage.

“When blue whales go on their holidays to the Gulf of California they get a tan the same way we do,” a Newcastle University researcher told BBC. “And that tan protects blue whales from sunburnt DNA.”

Click here to read the article from USA Today.

Click here to view the study.

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