Blue Whales, Blue Whale Pictures, Blue Whale Facts - National Geographic Pod Did you know? When a blue whale exhales, the spray from its blowhole can reach nearly 30 ft (9m) into the air. Size relative to a bus: Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at up to 100 feet (30 meters) long and upwards of 200 tons (181 metric tons). Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant. Their hearts, as much as an automobile. Blue whales reach these mind-boggling dimensions on a diet composed nearly exclusively of tiny shrimplike animals called krill. During certain times of the year, a single adult blue whale consumes about 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of krill a day. Blue whales are baleen whales, which means they have fringed plates of fingernail-like material, called baleen, attached to their upper jaws. The giant animals feed by first gulping an enormous mouthful of water, expanding the pleated skin on their throat and belly to take it in.

Then the whale's massive tongue forces the water out through the thin, overlapping baleen plates. Thousands of krill are left behind—and then swallowed. Blue whales look true blue underwater, but on the surface their coloring is more a mottled blue-gray. Their underbellies take on a yellowish hue from the millions of microorganisms that take up residence in their skin. The blue whale has a broad, flat head and a long, tapered body that ends in wide, triangular flukes. Behavior Blue whales live in all the world's oceans occasionally swimming in small groups but usually alone or in pairs. They often spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the Equator as winter arrives. These graceful swimmers cruise the ocean at more than five miles an hour (eight kilometers an hour), but accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour (32 kilometers an hour) when they are agitated. Blue whales are among the loudest animals on the planet. They emit a series of pulses, groans, and moans, and it’s thought that, in good conditions, blue whales can hear each other up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.

Scientists think they use these vocalizations not only to communicate, but, along with their excellent hearing, to sonar-navigate the lightless ocean depths. Blue whale calves enter the world already ranking among the planet's largest creatures. After about a year inside its mother's womb, a baby blue whale emerges weighing up to 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) and stretching to 25 feet (8 meters). It gorges on nothing but mother's milk and gains about 200 pounds (91 kilograms) every day for its first year. Conservation Blue whales are among Earth's longest-lived animals. Scientists have discovered that by counting the layers of a deceased whale's waxlike earplugs, they can get a close estimate of the animal's age. The oldest blue whale found using this method was determined to be around 110 years old. Average lifespan is estimated at around 80 to 90 years. Between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales are believed to still swim the world's oceans. Aggressive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove them to the brink of extinction.

Between 1900 and the mid-1960s, some 360,000 blue whales were slaughtered. They finally came under protection with the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but they've managed only a minor recovery since then. Blue whales have few predators but are known to fall victim to attacks by sharks and killer whales, and many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships. Blue whales are currently classified as endangered on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List. What Do Blue Whales Eat? What Do Blue Whales Eat? The answer to this question is actually quite simple. Despite being the largest living mammal in the world the blue whales primary diet consists almost exclusively of krill , a small oceanic creature that generally measure in at a measly 1-2 centimeters; although a few species of krill can grow close to 6 inches in size. In comparison to the small size of krill the blue whale can grow to be more than 100 ft. long (60 – 80 ft. on average) and weigh over 180 tons (100 – 150 tons on average)!

Even though these marine mammals are larger than most whales their bodies are quite slim and streamlined for their size allowing them to reach for speeds of up to 25 miles per hour or more when threatened or startled; however the average traveling speed of these marine mammals remains closer to 5 mph. When it comes to eating food the blue whale can consume as many as 40 million krill per day, which ends up weighing close to 8,000 pounds of food on a daily basis! Note: Instead of krill the baby blue whale consumes milk during its first 6 – 18 months of birth and can drink as much as 150 gallons of milk per day during its first year. This feeding will continue until the young whale is able to hunt for food and survive on its own. When these marine mammals hunt for food the blue whale dives underneath the water and swims towards its prey using a technique known as filter feeding (a common hunting method used among baleen whales ) in which they swim towards large schools of krill with their mouth open and engulf both their prey along with the surrounding water.

They then push the water out of their mouth with their tongue while keeping the krill trapped inside their baleen bristles, which researchers and marine biologists state resemble the teeth found on a comb. The baleen plates and bristles of these whales acts like a filter (hence the name) by allowing water to pass in and out of the bristles while keeping their prey trapped inside. Baleen bristles can be thought of as a fence that allows air to move through but keeps small animals from escaping. While consuming krill the blue whale may coincidentally swallow fish , crustaceans and squid that happen to be swimming in or near the school of krill it is hunting. In regards to diving for food the amount of time a blue whale dives for generally last around 10 minutes, although these whales have been recorded staying submerged for up to half an hour. It is typically only during the night that blue whales will feed on krill near the surface of the water because krill generally migrates toward the surface during the night and dives back down into the ocean during the day. The reason krill do this is to minimize potential threats from predators while they feed near the surface.

Since the blue whales prey migrates toward deeper waters during the day time most hunting takes place around 300 ft. underneath the water. Due to the fact that blue whales need to consume so much food they are almost always found swimming where large abundances of krill reside, which is typically in cold waters around the northern and southern polar hemispheres. Krill (The primary food source of blue whales) Krill are small crustaceans that can be found swimming in all of the worlds major oceans including the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Antarctic oceans in addition to other smaller bodies of water. Due to their small size and limited diet these marine animals are near the bottom of the food chain. While their diet consists mainly of tiny phytoplankton and some zooplankton these animals are extremely important to the oceans ecosystem as they feed a wide range of oceanic animals. Depending on their species and location krill can be found at varying depths of water from 100 m – 4,000 m. In terms of size krill can measure anywhere from 1 – 15 centimeters, however most krill measure no more than 1 – 2 centimeters long.

In order to protect themselves these small animals may be found traveling in large swarms as this is meant to minimize the chances of any one krill being consumed. In some cases these swarms can be so large that they make the water appear a different color. While these swarms are designed to protect krill it can sometimes make them a target for large whales that are hunting them as the swarm presents an abundant food source. Swarms may also occur throughout the day as krill become hungry and rise to the surface in order to obtain food. Once they’ve filled themselves up they sink back down towards lower depths. In certain locations such as the Antarctic krill can form very large biomass’s. In fact it is estimated the biomass of Antarctic krill is more than that of humans. Areas such as this are largely concentrated with krill because these areas foster lots of phytoplankton which krill feed on for their survival. Aside from gathering in areas where they can consume large quantities of phytoplankton krill are also able to produce thousands of eggs at a time in order to maximize the chances of their genes being passed onto the next generation. The combination of highly abundant food sources and high reproductive rates is what makes these animals so abundant in certain waters.

Interestingly krill are bioluminescent meaning they produce light through bioluminescent organs. The purpose of producing emitting light from their bodies isn’t fully understood however there have been several theories suggesting reasons for this. One of these theories include using bioluminescent light as a form of communication. By emitting light these animals can organize themselves and locate other krill. Another suggestion as to why they produce light is to help them blend in with the sunlight shinning from above them. The bioluminescent light they produce may make them less visible to predators that are look up from below them. A third hypothesis is that emitting light can be used as part of a mating call or reproductive pursuit. In any case krill are fascinating animals that many other species rely on for their survival. Without krill a large number of species would have difficulty finding sustainable food sources, including the blue whale. Search Biggest animal on earth | Blue Whale Listen to the song of the blue whale Gentle Giants In scary movies the gigantic creature that swims in the ocean, or the huge beast that roams the streets, are evil monsters bent on harm and destruction. But in nature, the very largest of the large creatures have been virtually harmless to humans.

In fact, magnificent creatures such as the great blue whale have suffered most at the hands of humans bent on destruction. Blue whales, as well as many other whale species, have been hunted to the brink of extinction by people from all over the world for centuries. It's only recently, in this century, that we have begun to appreciate the value of all living creatures. We have come to feel that wiping any species of animal off the face of the earth forever is an evil thing for humans to do. Blue whales have been put on the United States' endangered species list. Whalers in the 19th and 20th centuries hunted this giant nearly to extinction, killing as many as 29,000 in 1931, probably the peak year. Blue whales diet consists mainly of krill, a tiny shrimp that lives in tremendously large schools in almost every ocean of the world. Krill is probably one of the most plentiful food species anywhere on earth. It's gotta be to keep up with the blue whales' big appetite. A big blue can eat over a thousand krill at one time swallowing them with a tongue that weighs as much as an elephant!

Blue whales eat the krill using a special type of filter on their mouths called a baleen. By gulping enormous amounts of sea water containing the live krill the blue whale closes its mouth and flushes the sea water back out through the filter leaving the krill behind for it to swallow. Small fish and plankton are also favorite food items of the whale. It takes about 8,000 lbs/3600kg of fresh seafood a day to keep the blue whale well fed. Probably the most spectacular thing about blue whales that's bigger than big is the sounds they make. If you have speakers on your computer you can listen to a recording of "blue whale speech" by clicking on the 'play' button in the audio box above. Scientists have measured the low-frequency sounds they make when they communicate with each other by using a decibel meter. Some of their vocalizations have been recorded as loud as 188 decibels and can be heard as far as 530 mi/848km away. To give you an idea of just how loud 188 decibels is a commercial jet taking off makes a sound of 120 decibels.

That makes whales, by far, the loudest living organism on earth. Why is the Blue Whale So Big? Scientist don't really know for sure, but they are sure of one thing - as big as the ancient dinosaurs were they were never as big as the blue whale is. The blue whale is the largest creature to have ever lived on earth! One of the most important reasons that whales have become so large is they have more space - more room to roam. Remember: over 70% of the earth is covered in ocean water. Another nice thing about living in the oceans, besides all the real estate, is the weightlessness effect of water. If you like to swim or SCUBA dive you know how it feels to be in the water - almost like floating in space. (In fact, NASA sometimes trains their astronauts inside huge tanks of water to get familiar with working in a zero-gravity environment.) It's the weightlessness of the ocean environment that allows whales to maintain such huge proportions. Instead of relying on a skeleton to support the weight of its massive bulk the buoyancy of the surrounding ocean water supports the weight of the whale's body tissues.

If a blue whale were to be removed from the ocean it would smother under its own weight - a result of the effects of gravity. What Do Blue Whales Eat? - Blue Whales What Do Blue Whales Eat? August 11, 2010 by The blue whale is the largest mammal on Earth today. For this reason, it has sparked the interest of many and has lead to a great deal of fascinating inquiries in questions. One of the first questions that comes to mind when considering the blue whale is what do blue whales eat? It is difficult to imagine the diet of such a massive animal, yet the answer to that question may be surprising. Although the blue whale is a large animal, the fact of the matter is that it eats the same thing as most other similar creatures. This diet includes krill and small fish. For the blue whale to support its massive size, it must eat a large number of fish. In this particular case, the blue whale will eat four tons of these tiny fish within a single day. The blue whale does not have any teeth, which would normally make eating problematic for any other animal. This does not prove to be a problem for the blue whale, however.

In order to properly eat, the blue whale takes an enormous drink of water. During this process, it extends its pleated throat. It is at this time that the whale will filter out the water while taking all the fish in the path. This filter is done by using the tongue to push out the water while also contracting the throat. In the end, the tiny fish are left as food for the whale while the water is pushed out and away. Within one gulp, thousands of small fish are consumed. Colossal Sea Creature Photos -- National Geographic Portuguese Man-of-War Photograph by Jennifer Kiewit, Your Shot Often mistaken for a jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war is actually made up of a colony of organisms working together. Its tentacles can extend 165 feet (50 meters) below the surface, although 30 feet (10 meters) is more the average. Fin Whale Photograph by Daisy Gilardini/Getty Images The fin whale is the second largest creature on Earth, reaching maximum lengths of 82 feet (25 meters) for males and 89 feet (27 meters) for females.

Fins are baleen whales: They use the fringelike baleen in their mouths to strain krill and tiny fish from the massive amounts of water they ingest as they feed. Giant Isopod Photograph by David Schrichte/Seapics.com Related to shrimp and crabs, the giant isopod is a deep-sea crustacean that makes its home on the ocean floor. It is the largest of the known isopods, which on land includes the relatively tiny pill bug. Great White Shark Photograph by Mauricio Handler A great white shark swims in the clear waters off Guadalupe Island. The largest predatory fish on Earth, great whites grow to an average of 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length, though larger specimens have been recorded. They prey mainly on sea lions, seals, and small toothed whales. Giant Clams Photograph by Sami Sarkis/Getty Images The largest mollusks on Earth, adult giant clams permanently affix themselves to surfaces such as sand or coral reef rubble. The behemoths are capable of reaching 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and weighing more than 500 pounds (227 kilograms).

They can live a hundred years or more in the wild. Giant Clam Siphon Photograph by Mike French, My Shot A giant clam’s siphon is used to draw in water to filter and consume passing plankton. Though South Pacific legends describe clams that lie in wait to trap unsuspecting swimmers or swallow them whole, no account of a human death by giant clam has ever been substantiated. Share What Do Whales Eat? What Do Whales Eat? When it comes to survival few things are as important as shelter, rest and food. For marine mammals such as whales food is not only extremely important for their survival it’s also important for maintaining balance in the oceans ecosystem. In order for whales to capture their food these marine mammals search and hunt for their prey using a variety of techniques in order to locate, isolate and immobilize their prey for easy consumption. Because there are around 90 different animals within the cetacean family it is important to understand that not all species of whale hunt or attack their prey in the same way.

Depending on the whales size, social structure, environment, species and type (baleen or toothed) their diets can change drastically from small aquatic life forms such as fish , shrimp , larvae, plankton, crabs, krill and squid to large marine mammals (which are generally consumed by killer whale ) such as sea lions , walruses , seals , sharks , seabirds and even large whales. One of the most useful abilities whales use when hunting for food is known as echolocation . Echolocation is a trait that is found in all species of toothed whale. Echolocation works by emitting a series of clicking and busing noises and then listening to the echos that bounce off of objects in the area (such as fish or other aquatic life forms). The amount of time it takes the echo to return to the whale can provide these marine mammals with vital information such as how far the object is, how dense it is, whether it is hard or soft, and whether or not the object is moving or still. By using echolocation whales are able to determine whether the object is prey, a predator or an inanimate object.

These amazing marine mammals will continue to create these sounds until they find the prey they are looking for and then decide the best method for hunting and attacking their prey. In addition to helping toothed whales find food echolocation is also useful for navigating the ocean in dark environments as the echoes create a map of the environment which can help the whale determine where various objects are so that it can avoid collision with them. Since echolocation rely’s heavily on sound these marine mammals do not have to use their eyes when they are traveling or searching for prey, so it is a perfect skill to use when diving in waters that are void of any light. In fact echolocation can be thought of as a highly advanced version of sonar that not only displays where a single object is in relation to the host but also provides highly detailed information about all of the objects in the area in a somewhat three dimensional way. Baleen whales Baleen whales hunt for food using a variety of techniques. One common technique these marine mammals use is known as filter feeding in which these large animals swim around with their mouths open and filter food through their baleen bristles (which often resemble the teeth found on a comb).

The baleen bristles act like a filter by allowing water to escape while being packed tightly enough to prevent their prey from getting out. Depending on the species baleen whales may use several other hunting methods to capture their prey. One of these methods may include simply swimming towards their prey with their mouth open while capturing their prey in the baleen bristles then pushing the water out of their mouth with their tongue before swallowing their prey whole. Aside from swimming through schools of fish or krill some whales may skim the surface of the water while keeping their mouth open to capture prey at or near the top of the top of the water. Another method that is used by baleen whales is to have several whales circle around a group or swarm of fish and blow bubbles around and underneath the fish in order to herd them into a ball and push them towards the surface. Once this is done the whales can take turns swimming through the helpless swarm and pick off the fish one at a time. While baleen whales are known for their often solitary behavior when it comes to searching for prey baleen whales may choose to hunt for food alone or as a group. Group hunting is often dependent on their species and the pod they belong to.

Bottom feeding and bubble netting Gray whales are unique to the species because they are one of the only whales that consistently eat from the bottom of the ocean. In order to obtain food these whales will swim to the bottom of the ocean and role on their side; causing the water to lift up various sea sediments and prey. These whales will eat everything that comes up from crabs and larvae to plankton and small fish. Gray whales are very large and can consume in excess of 3,000 pounds of food on a daily basis. Some observers state that the gray whale can eat in excess of 4,500 pounds of food daily. humpback whale use a hunting technique that is also unique to any other mammal in its species by using a method known as bubble netting or lunge netting. Bubble or lunge netting takes a group effort and each whale plays a specific role in capturing the fish. Some whales will swims around the fish (these whales tend to enjoy eating herring) and blow bubbles which causes the fish to form into a group, while other whales make loud noises scaring the fish and causing them to move towards the surface of the water.

Once the fish move to the surface they lunge towards the fish with their mouths open and try to eat as many fish as they possibly can. Toothed whales Toothed whales are referred to as active hunters due to the fact that they possess teeth. In fact some toothed whales are known to hunt and eat larger forms of prey than their baleen whale relatives. Most toothed whales will consume a diet consisting of fish, squid, octopus and various crustaceans , although the killer whale (actually a dolphin) is known to hunt and consume various marine mammals, seabirds and even whales. While the baleen whale suborder is comprised solely of large baleen whales the toothed whale suborder is made up of whales that possess teeth along with all species of dolphin and porpoise. In addition to possessing teeth toothed whales are also equipped with echolocation which helps them identify prey in dark waters where light is limited or non existent. When it comes to hunting methods the strategies these marine mammals use vary depending on the species. The orca (killer whale) is known for hunting in groups.

These marine mammals are often referred to as the wolves of the sea due to the fact that when they hunt for food they resemble a pack of hungry wolves. Orca eat a large variety of foods such as fish, squid, sea lions, walruses, seals, sharks and even large whales and are considered to be at the top of the food chain in the aquatic realm since they have no real predators. They are also extremely social and travel in groups known as pods. Orca are known for maintaining strong family ties and can spend their entire lives together rarely separating from one another except when they mate and forage for food. The sperm whale (the largest of the toothed whales) typically prefers a diet containing octopus, large squid and some fish. These whales are able to dive over 3,000 feet underwater and remain submerged for over an hour when hunting for prey. It is estimated that sperm whales eat in excess of 220 billion pounds of squid per year. When observed circular marks can be found on and around the whale’s head from confrontations with octopus and squid latching on to its head in an attempt to keep from being eaten.

When compared to the orca (which are very socially structured), sperm whales live solitary lives often leaving pods to travel alone or move to other small pods. Unfortunately not much information is known as to how sperm whales hunt for squid due to the sperm whales deep diving excursions, which makes it difficult for scientist and marine biologist to effectively study their hunting methods. As with baleen whales the toothed whale species may hunt for food alone or in groups, however toothed whales are more likely to hunt in groups because of their social bonds and in some cases smaller sizes. Dolphins are often a good example of toothed whales that hunt together. Numerous species of dolphin may be found hunting for food in layers as they swim through the water picking off potential prey. By swimming in layers they can prevent some of their prey from swimming up or down to avoid being attacked. Dolphins and other toothed whales may also use echolocation to coordinate attacks and hunting strategies. By using echolocation they are not only able to identify their prey, they can also look to see where other pod members are in the water in order to adjust their attacks and maximize their success rates.

Here is a list containing some of the most common founds consumed by baleen whales and toothed whales. Baleen whale diet Baleen whales tend to eat small manageable prey since they swallow their food whole and consume large quantities of small prey: Fish Various benthic animals Toothed whale diet Toothed whales also consume small prey however some species have a larger more diverse diet and can consume larger food sources: Fish Squid (sperm whales hunt giant squid) Octopus Crabs Marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and porpoises (eaten by certain groups of killer whales) Other marine animals including seals, sea lions, walruses, seabirds and sharks (eaten by certain groups of killer whales) Conclusion Depending on the species the type of foods a whale consumes can vary from small krill to giant squid. In addition to eating different foods the hunting methods whales use to capture their prey can also various from one species/pod to the next. Location, climate, marine life, social structure and the whales species all play a role in what types of foods these marine mammals consume.

Some species are equipped with echolocation which allows them to measure the distance, location, density and types of food they are hunting as well as being used to help them navigate the ocean. Some whales will hunt in large cooperative groups in order to isolate and trap their prey while others are solitary animals that hunt their prey alone or in small pods. Whales that belong to the baleen whale suborder tend to hunt for food by filtering their prey from the water while toothed whales either chew their food to break it apart or swallow their prey whole. Search Amazing facts about the Blue Whale - OneKind OneKind Animal A-Z Blue Whale The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on earth. Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant - their hearts, as much as a car. Find more animals like this Amazing Facts About the Blue Whale The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on earth. Despite being so massive, this giant of the ocean feeds on some of the smallest marine life – tiny shrimplike animals called krill. A single adult blue whale can consume 3,6000kg of krill a day. They mainly catch their food by diving, and descend to depths of approximately 500m.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The whale’s mouth has a fascinating row of plates fringed with bristles to help it filter its main source of food – plankton from the water. There is what looks like a moustache of long bristles on the end of each plate to help it hold the minute prey. With each mouthful, the whale can hold up to 5,000kg of water and plankton. Having forced the water out of its mouth, the whale licks these bristles with its fleshy tongue. Although the blue whale is a deep-water hunter, as a mammal, it must come to the surface of the sea to breathe. When it surfaces, it exhales air out of a blowhole in a cloud of pressurized vapour that rises vertically above the water for up to 9m. Share Blue whales occasionally swim in small groups but usually swim alone or in pairs. They are thought to form close attachments. In spite of their bulk, these graceful swimmers cruise the ocean at over 8km/h, and can reach speeds of over 30km/h.

Though we can’t hear them, blue whales are one of the loudest animals on the planet, communicating with each other using a series of low frequency pulses, groans, and moans. It is thought that in good conditions blue whales can hear each other across distances of up to 1,600km. Scientists think they use these vocalizations to not only communicate but, along with their excellent hearing, are used like sonar to navigate the dark deep oceans. Females breed only once every three years and gestation is between 11-12months. Females usually only have one young. A baby blue whale (calf) emerges weighing up to 2,7000kg and up to 8m long. New born whales are helped to the surface of the water by their mothers and are often encouraged (nudged) by other females so that they can take their first breath of air. The calf is suckled in the water, drinking more than 600 litres of milk each day and gaining about 90kg every day for its first year.

Blue whales have few predators but are known to fall victim to attacks by sharks and killer whales, and many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships. It is thought that whales feel emotions . Intensive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove them to the brink of extinction. Hundreds of thousands of whales were killed. The 1966 International Whaling Commission finally gave them protection, although they have only recovered slightly since then. Blue whales are currently classified as endangered on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List. It is estimated that only 10,000-25,000 blue whales now swim the world’s oceans. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Life Span: Average 80-90 years. Known to have lived 110 years. Diet: Carnivore: krill Size: Can be over 30m Weight: Can be over 180,000kg Habitat: Oceans. Often spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake long migrations towards the Equator as winter arrives. Range: All the world's oceans.

Scientific name: Balaenoptera musculus Types of Whales | Whale Games Types of Whales Fish Games Types of Whales Each whale belongs to a group called cetaceans, and there are two kinds in general: the toothed whale (odontocete) and the baleen whale (mysticete). Most whales are being hunted to extinction and are facing a lot of threats to their existence because of certain activities conducted by human beings. Blue Whales Blue whales are the biggest animals that have ever lived on this planet, even larger than dinosaurs. The biggest blue whale ever to be found was around 110 feet long and weighed almost 200 tons. Their tongues alone can weigh the size of an elephant, and their hearts can weigh the same as a car. Diet & Feeding A Blue whale can reach an unbelievable size just by living on a diet that is made up of a tiny creature that looks like a shrimp called krill. One adult Blue whale can eat approximately 4 tons of krill on a daily basis during certain months of the year. A Blue Whale is classified as a Baleen whale; consequently it has a fringed plate attached to its upper jaw.

This enormous creature feeds itself by swallowing a massive amount of water which expands the folded skin that you see inside its belly and throat so that it can take the food inside. A Blue Whale’s giant tongue forces all the water outside via its narrow baleen plates that overlap. Hundreds of krill get left behind for a short while, but soon get swallowed after all the water is forced out. Characteristics To state the obvious, a Blue whale looks blue when it is underwater; however, it is more like a bluish-grey colour when it comes to the surface. Its underbelly has a yellowish shade which comes from all the microorganisms (millions) that reside inside its skin. A Blue whale has a wide, level head and an elongated body which has broad, triangular flukes on the end. Location A Blue whale lives in the ocean all over the world and swims in a small group from time to time, although it generally swims by itself, or in a pair. It spends the summer months nourishing itself in the waters in the Arctic and begins long migrations to the Equator during winter.

Speed & Sound These agile swimmers go cruising along the ocean at over five miles per hour, but speed up to over twenty miles per hour when they feel distressed. A Blue whale is one of the loudest creatures on this earth; it releases a sequence of moans, pulses and groans, and it is believed that, in excellent conditions, Blue whales are capable of hearing one another from almost 1,000 miles away. Experts believe that they utilise these kinds of discourses as a way of communicating, and to use sound propagation to navigate and detect any objects that are on top of, or underneath the surface of the water. Babies & Life Expectancy A Blue whale baby comes into the world being ranked as the largest animal on earth. A baby whale emerges after staying inside a mother's womb for approximately twelve months, and it weighs around 3 tons and stretches to 25 feet. It just guzzles its mother's milk and manages to gain around 200 pounds every single day during the first year. A Blue whale is amongst the planet’s longest-living creature. Experts have found out that they are capable of accurately estimating the age of an animal by adding up all the layers of wax of a deceased whale.

The oldest Blue whale that was found utilising this kind of method was verified to be about 110 years old. The average life expectancy of a Blue Whale is approximately 80 to 90 years. Population There are around 10,000 to 25,000 Blue whales that continue to swim around all the oceans in the world. During the 1900s, violent hunting by people looking for whale oil, forced them to the verge of extinction. In 1900 to 1960s, a total of 360,000 Blue whales were killed. Thankfully, in 1996, they eventually became protected by the International Whaling Commission; however, they have only managed to recover a small number since. Predators A Blue whale does not have many predators, although it has been known to become a victim of a shark or a killer whale attack, and a lot of them seem to get wounded or killed every year due to collisions with big ships. Blue whales are classified as an endangered species and has been placed on the World Conservation Union’s Red List.

View More Photo's & Find Out More About Blue Whales Bow Head Whale A Bowhead whale is a baleen whale and comes from the Arctic in freezing temperatures. It is a healthy sized whale and has a large head with a bow-shape, which is almost 40% of the length of its entire body. It has a curved mouth that is approximately 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep. A Bowhead has tiny eyes and large lips. It does not have any teeth but has baleen plates instead. Bowheads live in shells/pods, have plenty of blubber, which is a 20 inch subcutaneous layer, and they have two blowholes in total. When hypothermia stands in the way of Paul Nicklen's dream of photographing a 50-foot bowhead whale, sometimes a little push is all that is needed. View Photo's of Bow Head Whales Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) A Fin whale is an enormous baleen whale and is classified as the second biggest creature on this planet.

Occasionally it is known as the "greyhound of the sea" because it swims at an accelerated speed; it can usually swim up to 23 mph in remarkably short bursts. A Fin whale is a fairly flat and even whale and can be found all over the world apart from inside polar waters; it is fairly popular in the Southern Hemisphere. You will also find Fin whales in the northern Pacific and North Atlantic Hemisphere; they don’t interbreed. Migration for Fin whales happens between feeding and breeding grounds. Fin whales typically swim in groups of 3-7 whales; however, larger groups of around 300 might be formed in abundant feeding arenas, or during migration. A Fin whale is commonly known as a finner, finback, common rorqual, razorback, and herring whale also. View Photo's & Find Out More About Fin Whales Gray Whale A Gray Whale is classified as a baleen whale and has a thick layer of blubber that is around 10 inches dense. It tends to migrate from cooler waters to tropical locations every year in social groups. A Gray whale is an incredibly agile swimmer. It is capable of diving for around thirty minutes and can go as deep as 500 feet.

A Gray whale makes clicks, grunts as well as screeching sounds that are used to converse with all other Gray whales. Off the coast of Monterey Bay, California, the arena is set killer whales and gray whales are set for an annual, epic battle. While gray whales are 30-ton powerhouses, they face a fierce predator in killer whales. Join Wild Chronicles to see who wins this struggle for survival beneath the turbulent waves. View More Photo's & Find Out More About Gray Whales Humpback Whales A Humpback whale is classified as a baleen whale as well as a Rorqual whale and sings delightful songs. It can perform complicated and collaborative feeding strategies. A Humpback whale has a gigantic head with some rough swellings; each has a bristle. A Humpback is an acrobat in the deep sea, and it breaches and slaps the water. Humpbacks live in a social group and have two blowholes. Their name illustrates the action that they make when they curve their backs outside of the ocean in order to get ready to make a dive. It doesn't take much to fill a humpback's whale appetite....

just a thousand pounds or so of fish, krill, plankton and the like. That's a thousand pounds a day! View More Photo's & Find Out More About Humpback Whales Killer Whales Surprisingly Killer Whales belong to the biggest species of the dolphin family and are the strongest predator in the world. A pod of orcas, or killer whales, cooperate to wash a Weddell seal off an ice floe. This sequence, filmed for Frozen Planet, marks the first complete filming of killer whale "wave washing" behavior. The Right Whales (Eubalaena spp.) A Right whale is a baleen whale and has a lower jaw that has the shape of a bow. Its head is almost a quarter of the length of its body. A Right whale’s head is a lot hairier compared to all other whales; it has around three hundred hairs that are located on the lower jaw along the tip and on the upper jaw. You can also find a set of horny developments at the back of its blowhole, on its chin, above its eyes, on its lower lip, and upper jaw. A Right whale is like a bowhead whale; however, it’s smaller.

A Right Whale has plenty of blubber and two blowholes. It has tiny eyes and large lips. A Right whale was given its name by whalers who deemed it as the "right" creature to go and hunt down because it has so much blubber and is a lot easier to capture. Plus, it tends to float after it gets killed. Brian Skerry working with National Geographic describes the exhilaration of an up-close encounter with a curious, 45-foot-long right whale. View More Photo's & Find Out More About Right Whales Sei Whale ( Balaenoptera borealis) A Sei whale is dark-grey in colour and is a baleen whale. It is stream-lined and can be located all over the world besides Arctic waters. It generally swims in small social groups of 3-5 whales although bigger groups might form in abundant feeding locations. A Sei whale is very much like a Bryde's whale; people often confuse the two. A Sei whale is known as a Sardine, Pollack, Coalfish, Japan Finner, and Rudolphi's Rorqual whale, also. A significant number of these whales was hunted for their meat and oil not so long ago.

A Sei swims the fastest compared to the great whale and is capable of swimming at around 23 mph in exceedingly short bursts. View More Photo's & Find Out More About Sei Whales Sperm Whale A Sperm whale is classified as a “toothed” whale and lives in social groups. Its brain is massive and weighs around 20 pounds; it has the biggest brain compared to all other animals. A Sperm whale just has one blowhole which has an S shape and is around twenty inches length wise. Its blowhole is situated on the front of its massive head, on the left hand side. A Sperm whale has a thick layer of blubber that is between 4-12 inches. A Sperm whale produces ambergris, which is a dark coloured waxy substance. It tends to produce ambergris inside its intestines, which helps to protect it from getting stung by a huge squid - its main source of food. Massive chunks of ambergris might get vomited by a Sperm whale. The fictitious character Moby Dick is a Sperm whale. A baby sperm whale learns to swim alone while its mother hunts deep below.

Krill, Krill Pictures, Krill Facts - National Geographic Size relative to a paper clip Please add a "relative" entry to your dictionary. The lowly krill averages only about two inches (five centimeters) in length, but it represents a giant-sized link in the global food chain. These small, shrimp-like crustaceans are essentially the fuel that runs the engine of the Earth’s marine ecosystems. Krill feed on phytoplankton, microscopic, single-celled plants that drift near the ocean’s surface and live off carbon dioxide and the sun’s rays. They in turn are the main staple in the diets of literally hundreds of different animals, from fish, to birds, to baleen whales. Simply put, without krill, most of the life forms in the Antarctic would disappear. Alarmingly, there are recent studies that show Antarctic krill stocks may have dropped by 80 percent since the 1970s. Scientists attribute these declines in part to ice cover loss caused by global warming. This ice loss removes a primary source of food for krill: ice-algae. Pink and opaque, Antarctic krill are among the largest of the 85 known krill species.

Their estimated numbers range from 125 million tons to 6 billion tons in the waters around Antarctica. During certain times of year, krill congregate in swarms so dense and widespread that they can be seen from space. Antarctic krill can live up to 10 years, an amazing longevity for such a heavily hunted creature. They spend their days avoiding predators in the cold depths of the Antarctic Ocean, some 320 feet (100 meters) below the surface. During the night, they drift up the water column toward the surface in search of phytoplankton.

Question: What tiny creatures form the diet of the world's largest creature, the blue whale?
Answer: Krill