The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth.
It is believed to be the largest animal to have ever existed.
It can grow up to 30 meters in length, or about 98 feet.
There are several theories as to why it is so large; one is that its size helped with buoyancy, another is that it helped them float when they were feeding.
They weigh in at around 150,000 kilograms or 330,000 pounds!
These whales mainly eat krill, but can also eat small fish.
How Do Blue Whales Become So Big?
They consume around 4% of their body weight each day, which is around 880 pounds of food!
Blue whales are able to do this by sucking in a large amount of water (or sometimes even seawater) and then forcing it out through their baleen plates.
They will do this about 80 to 100 times per minute!
They often travel in groups of two to three, but can also be found in larger groups.
Blue whales migrate every year, moving from the cold waters of the Arctic to the warmer waters near the equator.
During their migration, they often pass through areas where there is a lot of human activity, which has resulted in collisions with ships.
There are three subspecies of blue whales; northern, southern, and pygmy.
The most recent estimate put the total population somewhere between 10,000 to 25,000 (though some estimate that no more than 1,000 may be alive today).
Due to the demise of blue whales at the hands of humans, hunting was finally banned in 1966.
The blue whale holds many records (this was mentioned earlier), including its extremely large size, which is likely why it is called “the gentle giant.”
Despite their size, blue whales are not considered aggressive animals.
Blue Whale Distribution and Conservation
Surprisingly, the largest animal on earth is very docile, which is probably a good idea since they are about 30 meters in length.
They have been known to travel in groups of 50 or so.
In fact, blue whales were once a very common animal worldwide, but their numbers dwindled rapidly due to whaling.
It is estimated that there was a staggering 360,000 blue whales at the start of whaling.
By 1970, they had declined by about 97-98%.
It is believed that there are more blue whales today than before whaling, though it might still take decades for the population to recover.
The blue whale is truly a unique and fascinating animal that should be remembered.
Though they are the largest animal known to have ever existed, their size does not affect how docile or friendly they can be.
Instead of being aggressive, these whales have been known to travel with other species for protection from predators such as killer whales.
Despite being so large, they are gentle and caring creatures that should be protected.
They are a reminder of the importance of conservation and how our actions can affect an entire species.
Let’s work together to keep the blue whale population healthy and thriving!
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