Blue Whale
( Balaenoptera musculus
)
The Blue Whale is a marine mammal found in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean. The Blue Whale is massive in size reaching over a length of 100 ft (30 m) and weighing up to 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants). Bigger than dinosaurs, a Blue Whale is the largest known animal to ever exist on Earth.
The Blue Whale also makes one of the loudest noises of any animal, up to 188 decibels, which is louder than even a jet engine. The Blue Whale communicates with low frequency moans, groans and pulses out of the range of a human ear. The low frequency allows the Blue Whale to communicate with other whales through the water up to 1000 miles (1,600 km) away. This form of long distance communication is a necessary adaptation since Blue Whales completes a 4,000 mile (6,400km) migration every year.
The Blue Whale was once flourishing in almost all of the Earth's oceans until the end of the 19th century. Near the end of the 19th century the exploding harpoon was invented and the Blue Whale was hunted for oil almost to extinction. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission banned all Blue Whale hunting and the Blue Whale’s population began to slowly recover. The Blue Whale only reproduces one calf every two years making population growth slow. For this and other reasons the IUCN lists the Blue Whale as endangered.
To learn more about the Blue Whale and conservation efforts click the link below:
https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/blue-whale/