One of the 7 whales on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Balaenopteridae
Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
It is the largest animal ever to have lived on this planet, bigger even than the largest dinosaurs known. It feeds almost entirely on krill, filtering up to 8 tonnes a day.
Weight
100 t – 150 t
Size
21 m – 30 m
Lifespan
90 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Estimated population
10,000 - 25,000 animals
Fun facts
- It can weigh up to 150 tonnes and measure over 30 metres long.
- An estimated 10,000 to 25,000 are left worldwide.
- It migrates between polar waters, where it feeds, and temperate or tropical waters, where it breeds.
- anatomíaIts heart can weigh as much as a small car (around 180 kg) and beats only 2 to 8 times a minute on a deep dive.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Every ocean except the Arctic; it migrates between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding grounds
- Birth weight
- 2.5-4 tonnes and ~7 m long at birth
- Size at birth
- 2.5-4 tonnes and ~7 m at birth
- Gestation / incubation
- 10-12 months (~11-12 months)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young per birth, with intervals of 2-3 years
Sources consulted: iNaturalist; Britannica; A-Z Animals; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); KnowScape.blog; A-Z Animals (gestation period)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 15 de 18 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Blue Whale — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Sei Whale
Balaenoptera borealis
Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Least ConcernHumpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
EndangeredFin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
EndangeredKiller Whale
Orcinus orca
EndangeredGreen Turtle
Chelonia mydas
How to help
The blue whale is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 5 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about blue whale.
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