Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

Description of the animal

Appearance

The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed. Adults can reach up to 100 feet in length and more than 200 tons in weight. Their bodies are long and slender, colored a mottled blue-gray with lighter spots.

Distribution

Blue whales are found in all the world's oceans, except the Arctic, ranging from the equator to the edge of the ice packs in the North and South Poles.

Habitat

They primarily inhabit deep, open-ocean waters, though they are occasionally seen near the coast, in areas rich in their food sources.

Behavior

Blue whales are migratory species, typically spending the summer months in polar waters to feed and the winter months in warmer waters to breed and give birth.

Diet

Despite their massive size, blue whales feed almost exclusively on tiny krill, consuming up to 4 tons of krill per day during the feeding season.

Reproduction

Female blue whales give birth to a single calf every two to three years after a gestation period of about 11 months. Calves are born large, around 23 feet long and several tons in weight.

Threats

Once hunted nearly to extinction for their blubber, blue whales now face threats from ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and the impacts of climate change on their ocean habitat.

Short Poems - William Shakespeare