Balaenoptera musculus
The blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever existed, with adults reaching lengths of up to 100 feet (30 meters) and weighing over 200 tons (180 metric tonnes). They have long, sleek bodies that taper to a pointed tail, and their skin is typically a bluish-gray color.
They have small dorsal fins and pointed flippers. Blue whales have a distinct appearance with a broad, U-shaped head that can be one-quarter to one-third of their body length.
The blue whale is a migratory species that can be found in all the oceans of the world, including the Arctic, Antarctic, and all the temperate, subtropical and tropical waters in between.
During the summer, blue whales are typically found in cold, high-latitude waters near the poles, where they feed on krill, their primary food source. In the winter, they migrate to warmer waters closer to the equator to breed and give birth.
Blue whales are found primarily in the open ocean, but they can also be found in coastal areas and nearshore waters during the breeding season.
Blue whales feed almost exclusively on tiny crustaceans called krill, which they filter from the water using their baleen plates.
Blue whales are also migratory animals, traveling long distances between feeding and breeding grounds. They are known for their long and vocal songs, which can be heard for miles under water. They primarily feed on krill and can consume up to 4 tons of it in a single day.
The scientific name for the blue whale is Balaenoptera musculus. Blue whales belong to the family Balaenopteridae, which includes other species of baleen whales such as humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales.
Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth, typically growing to be around 100 feet long. They are endangered due to commercial hunting in the past century.
