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 Blue Whale |
Blue Whale(Mammal) |
 Blue Whale Baby |
Blue Whale HabitsLike other marine mammals, blue whales are descended from early land animals. Millions of years ago, the richness of life in the sea lured them to water, and aquatic live gradually changed their physical characteristics.
Today, they spend most of their time in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, where plankton is plentiful. In winter, the whales migrate to the warm waters of the tropics. But food in the tropics is scarce, so the whales depend on their thick layer of blubber for nourishment.
Because of its great size, the blue whale was a prime target for the whaling industry. Its body was a source of oil and the baleen was used to make women's corsets.
Antarctic whalers slaughtered 30,000 blue whales from 1930 to 1931. The population has since recovered, but there are probably less than 10,000 alive today; they are now protected. |
Blue Whale CommunicationDue to their solitary lifestyles, Blue Whales have evolved an exceptional way of speaking to one another across huge distances. As you would expect from the largest animal on the planet, Blue Whales have exceptionally deep voices and are able to be vocal at frequencies as low as 14 Hz - well below the ability of human hearing - with a volume greater than 180 decibels, which makes the Blue Whale the loudest animal on the planet.
The sounds they make that humans can hear are characterised by low grunts, humming, moans and clicks. The deep vibrations and sounds created by a Blue Whale can travel thousands of miles across the sea and may have evolved to take advantage of the ocean's sound channel. |
Blue Whale BreedingBlue whales from close ties with one another and are often seen in groups of two or four. Mating takes place in the warm waters of the tropics, where the young are born. The mother gives birth to a single calf with the aid of other females, who help her deliver the calf and then nudge the newborn to the surface for its first breath of air.
At birth, the calf measures about 23 feet and weight 16,000 pounds. The baby is suckled in the water, drinking more than 160 gallons of milk a day. At 7 months, it is able to catch its own food. |
Blue Whale Food & FeedingIn the Antarctic, blue whales feed on vast quantities of a plankton called krill. In Arctic waters, they feed on only three species of crustacean (shelled) plankton.
Icy water contains more oxygen and carbon dioxide than warm water, which makes it rich in marine life. Plankton is up to twenty times more abundant in the Arctic and Antarctic than it is in the warm waters of the tropics.
In spite of its bulk, the blue whale can reach speeds of 10-15 knots. But it catches most of its food by diving. It can dive to depths or 1650 feet and lie submerged for up to 2 hours. Rising from the depths, the whale feeds by collecting a large amount of seawater in its mouth and then straining out the plankton. |
Blue Whale Key Facts |
| Size |
| Height: Males average 82 feet. Females, 85 feet long |
| Weight: 175,000-285,000 pounds |
| Breeding |
| Sexual maturity: Males at a length of 74 feet. Females at 75 feet |
| Mating: Most females only breed once every 3 years |
| Gestation: 11-12 months |
| Number of young: Single Calf |
| Lifestyle |
| Habit: Social and migratory |
| Diet: Plankton |
| Lifespan: 80 years |
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