Blue Whale

Main Characteristics

The Blue Whale, largest of all wahles has a distinctively mottled body, grayish-blue in colour. The coloration varies amongst individuals and can be used for identification. The large blow can be seen from afar and is a clear sign of the presence of a blue whale. Occasionally blue whales will lift their fluke before a deep dive to be able to reach higher depths. The fluke can be up to 8 m in diameter.

Behaviour and Social Relations

Blue Whales live solitary or in small groups, and travel occasionally in association with fin whales. Possessing the loudest voice in the animal kingdom, they emit low-frequency sounds that travel hundreds of kilometres under water. Blue Whales have been known to crossbreed with Fin Whales or Humpback Whales.

The Largest Animal on Earth

The Blue Whale is believed to be the largest animal ever to live on earth. The longest animal on record measured over 33 meters, and the heaviest veighed about 200 tons. In comparison, the largest of the dinosaurs are thought to have weighed only half as much. The reason to achieve such great masses is connected to the need to maintain a constant body temperature in cold waters. The larger the animal, the more efficiently can it control its body temperature.

Food and Migration

Blue Whales are migratory species and travel to the highly productive colder waters in the arctic and sub arctic regions for feeding during the summer months. It is believed that the animals consume the major part of their yearly food intake in 4 to 6 months. When feeding near the surface the Blue Whales will frequently surface with its mouth open and roll over to the side to make it easier to close the mouth that may contain up to 70 tons of water and food.

Folk Believe

In Icelandic folk believe the Blue Whale was regarded as a good whale that protected fishing boats from the evil whales and sea monsters. One should however take care not to offend or upset the Blue Whale since it has a very good memory.

Whaling and Population Size

Excessive whaling during the 20th century has caused drastic reduction of the population to near extinction. Blue Whales have been protected worldwide since 1966 and are now showing signs of population recovery. The current population is estimated to be about 10.000 individuals worldwide.

For more information on Blue Whales you can visit Wikipedia  or the American Cetacean Society.