When you think of the largest animals known to man, what do you picture? Do you visualize a hippopotamus, a moose, an even elephant? Maybe, you think about the ocean, and the large deep-sea creatures that lurk below. In fact, the largest animal on the planet is the Blue Whale. Weighing in as heavy as 200 tons (which would equal 33 elephants), a blue whale’s heart alone is comparable in size to a Volkswagen Beetle (Blue Whale). Their whole body can measure between 80-100 feet, or the same height as a nine-story building.
Despite their massive size, blue whales are not particularly threatening predators, choosing instead to subsist on krill which are tiny shrimp like animals. Their stomachs can hold approximately one ton of krill at time; To sate such a large appetite and demanding metabolism, blue whales must consume nearly 4 tons of krill per day. The blue whales mouth contains rows and rows of bristles, which help filter plankton from enormous gulps of ocean water. Once the whale takes a mouthful, it uses its tongue to displace water through its filtering teeth, leaving on its food behind (Amazing facts about the Blue Whale: OneKindPlanet Animal Education).
Surprisingly enough, blue whales are not fish, but instead considered mammals. This means they must crest the surface of the ocean to breathe. They use their blowholes to dispel water and intake oxygen, creating waterspouts that reach up to 9m. Blue whales undergo a gestational period of 11-12 months, before giving birth. Moreover, blue whales suckle their young underwater, where calves consume as much as 600 liters of milk per day (Amazing facts).
Beyond their massive size, blue whales are also the loudest animals on Earth. To find other whales, they emit a high-pitched whistle that can be heard for hundreds of miles. In fact, their call (188 decibels) is louder than that of even a jet engine (140 decibels) (Blue Whale). However, due to the unique frequency, humans typically cannot hear whale communication except via sonar. Whales can hear human sonar signal and have even been known to run aground due to submarine interference. In fact, blue whales are considered an endangered species, with humans most frequently causing their demise (Amazing facts). Despite their intimidating appearance, we must never forget the blue whales are gentle giants and need our protection.
Amazing facts about the Blue Whale: OneKindPlanet Animal Education. (2020). Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://onekindplanet.org/animal/whale-blue/
Blue Whale. (2020). Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/blue-whale
Despite blue whales being more intimidating base on having a major size advantage, they seem to have a harder time with everyone else. Their size makes them less likely to die from being attacked by one other animal, they would more than likely have to die from a pod. However, they do not have the ability to heard by any animal due to their high pitch frequency, they do not move as fast, and they would have to go to the surface for oxygen otherwise they would die, which gives them a better chance of being hunted by humans.
With blue whales needing to consume up-to 4 tons of krill per day is the population size being reduced by human overfishing causing whales to be close to extinction?
Thats interesting that we can only hear the frequency the blue whales communicate in with sonar technology, has their been any attempt to try alleviate the problem with submarine interference, in terms of whales being run ashore?