Its scientific name has meaning as well. The word balaenoptera is Latin and Greek for winged or finned whale while the word musculus is Latin for mouse, but is generally translated to mean muscular. Its dorsal fin is relatively small and set so far back on the animal that it is rarely seen until the animal dives. However, the record for the longest blue whale is that of an animal 33 m long taken by whalers. There is some difference between the size of the males and females with females being slightly larger.
Newborn calves are approximately seven meters in length.
Because of this, they are most likely found in all waters surrounding Africa. They will come into more shallow, coastal areas occasionally for feeding and reproductive purposes, but generally will remain along the edges of continental shelves and ice fronts. One group of blue whales is known to spend its summers south of Madagascar. They were given protection by the International Whaling Commission in 1965, and since then have shown an increase in population size. FAO Species Identification Guide, Marine Mammals of the World.