These marine mammals are considered to be the largest animals that have ever lived. These sea creatures are bigger than even the biggest of the dinosaurs.
Their primary food source is krill. They have no real predators. Killer whales have been known to attack them on occasion but they are not the major food source of any other life form.
They live in the deep ocean waters and do not come close to coastlines or into bays.
These gentle giants of the ocean are unique and very fascinating. Let’s see what else we can discover about them.
How Much Does A Blue Whale Weigh?
An adult blue whale can weigh as much as 200,000 to 300,000 pounds.
That is an impressive weight. There have been instances where some of them were found to weigh over 400,000.
These creatures grow to lengths of 100 feet or more.
Blue Whale Infants
The blue whale is not only the largest animal on earth, they have record size babies too.
The mommy whale carries the infant for up to one year before she gives birth. They generally have a single calf. This is one of the reasons why the population of these mammals is so slow to grow.
When the infant is born the mother lifts it up to the surface so it can take its first breath of air. Other females will assist the mother if they are in a close proximity to the birthing mom.
At birth, these “little” creatures are up to 26 feet long.
When they are born the infant blue whales weigh about 8,800 pounds.
Each day these little darlings eat enough to gain 200 pounds. This makes them the biggest eaters in the animal world, and the fastest growers too!
The mother’s milk from blue whale mommies must be very rich!
Blue Whale Adults
These gentle mammals are known to live to be up to 90 years of age.
They pose no threat to humans but at one-time humans hunted them for whale oil. Between 1904 and 1967 there were more than 350,000 of these creatures killed in the Southern Hemisphere alone. As many as 29,000 of them were killed each whaling season. They now receive protection and luckily the population is starting to increase.
Today the population of blue whales does not exceed 25,000. Some of the dangers they face are due to climate change. There are also some whales killed each year because they are struck by seagoing vessels. The speed that ships can travel through the waters populated by these creatures has been lowered and that has reduced the possibility of ship-to-whale collisions by as much as 80%.
They can reach top speeds of 20 mph if they need to get somewhere really fast.
Did You Know?
- The tongue of one of these massive creatures can weigh as much as an elephant.
- Their hearts beat so loudly they can be heard from a distance of 2 miles.
- The blood vessels inside this creature are so wide that an average size human could swim in them.
- Their heart is the size of the average mid-size car.
- They swim at about five miles per hour.
- They are one of the loudest animals on the planet. Their calls are so loud that they can hear each other from up to 1000 miles away!
- They swim close to the equator when the weather starts to cause the waters to become cool
- They can hear very well.
- They come to the surface for air every 5 to 15 minutes.
- They are normally loners but have occasionally been seen swimming in small groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Was The Heaviest Blue Whale Weight Ever?
The heaviest of these creatures was a female that weighed 418.878 pounds. [Source]
Is The Blue Whale Very Loud?
They are considered to be very loud and they can make a call that is as loud as a jet plane. That is around 180 decibels.
Are Blue Whales Mean?
Actually, they are not threatening and are kind of friendly.