MARINE MAMMAL
OCTOBER 31, 2021
20 Important Blue Whales Facts
Here are 20 important blue whales facts that you should know :
- Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth.
- They have one of the loudest voices on the planet.
- These animals can grow up more than 110 feet long or 34 metres and weigh as much as 30 elephants (up to 199 tonnes).
- One adult blue whale could have weight as 290.000 to 330.000 lbs.
- Estimated lifespan of this marine mammal is about 80 – 90 years.
- They have the biggest babies on Earth and have big hearts too, weighing some 900 kg.
- Blue whales are even bigger than dinosaurs.
- Typically blue whales can hold their breath underwater for about 90 minutes, but in average not more than 30 minutes.
- Blue whales do not eat humans. Without teeth they do not have ability to tear apart their prey so it is very unlikely to eat a human. In fact, they capture prey using a giant sieve in their mouth.
- This whale could dive to 500 metres but generally they are just swimming underwater to no more than 100 metres, for that is where their prey is.
- Whales breathe air into their lungs just like any other mammal. They cannot breathe underwater like fish as they do not have gills.
- Baby whales are often referred to as “calves” and the mothers are called “cows”. Whales give birth to their babies instead of laying eggs, a characteristic of most mammals.
- Blue whales are carnivorous. They generally eat plankton in the sea water and other small creatures like krill, fish and algae.
- The voice of a blue whale can reach to 180 decibels, just like a jet plane. The loudest voice of any creature on Earth.
- Like other mammals, whales can generate their own heat and maintain stable body temperature. They are endothermic homeotherms or better known as “warm blooded”.
- Generally blue whales swim at about 5-12 miles per hour (up to 20 kph) while travelling but can accelerate to more than 31 miles per hour (50 kph) for a short time.
- The blue whales only sleep not longer than 30 minutes, this is due to the risk of low body temperature when they are idle or inactive during sleeping.
- Blue whales are an endangered species, live in every ocean and only about 25.000 living in the world today.
- Like other mammals whales breathe air. They breathe through “nostrils” on top of their heads called blowholes, when they breathe fresh air warm air escapes from the blowhole.
- Blue whales stomachs can hold 1.000 kg (2.200 pounds) of tiny crustaceans. They need around 4.000 kg (9.000 pounds) a day, about 40 million krill daily during the summer.
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