Muskan

· 11 Feb 2022

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How big is a blue whale?

Blue whale, the Earth’s biggest mammal is widely known with the scientific name Balaenoptera musculus. It is a solitary animal and lives in very small groups of 2 to 4. Some researchers estimate the total number of whales 5000-12000 whereas others claim it could be even higher. Blue whales are carnivores and can have an average lifespan of 80-90 years.   Since blue whale is a mammal, it doesn’t lay eggs but give birth to young ones. A newborn blue whale is about 23 feet long and weighs 6000-8000 lbs at the time of birth. They have a streamlined and slender body making them move through the sea with minimal water resistance. Blue whales have a U-shaped head, aerodynamically flat that assists them to attain comparatively high speeds of about 30 miles an hour for short periods when alarmed or threatened. However, more blue whales normally maintain a speed of about 3 to 12 miles in an hour depending on activities like foraging for resting, food, or travelling to various locations.

How big is a blue whale?
A baby blue whale can be about 23-25 feet long at birth and they develop very fast in the next few months. The baby is born weighing about 4,000 kg (8,800 pounds). During the first year of life, the baby blue whale gains about 200 pounds daily & consumes about 100-gallons (of milk) daily.
A fully mature Blue-whale can become 80 to 100 feet longer & can weigh more than 150 tons. Blue whale’s heart is the biggest in the animal kingdom and weighs about 400 pounds which is the same as 180 kg. When the blue whale dives to find food, its big heart beats only twice in a minute. The tongue of a blue whale can weigh equals to an elephant’s weight i.e. up to 2700 kgs. Blue whales are the loudest creatures on Earth and its sound can reach up to 188 decibels. Their language of groans, pulses, & moans is heard by others when they are up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away.
The tail of the blue whale measures about 12’ & 15’ wide. The lungs of the Blue whale can hold an oxygen volume of about 5,000 liters. The blue whale is capable of holding their breath for about one hour as they dive to a depth of 100-meters. The brain size is strangely smaller. It weighs less than 16-pounds, making it about 0.007% of its whole body weight.

What do Blue whales eat?
Blue whales feed on krill. The stomach of Blue whales is capable of holding about 2,200 pounds of tiny crustaceans at a given time. They feed 9,000 pounds or 4,000kg a day.

Lifespan
Blue whales are one of the longest-lived animals on the planet. Scientists estimates a whale’s age by counting the layers of a dead whale’s wax like-earplugs. They attained a near estimate of the animal's age. The oldest-blue whale seen was determined to be about 110years old. Its average lifespan is projected to be about 80 - 90 years.
The giant marine creature is found in all the oceans on Earth. Its population is higher in southern hemisphere in comparison to northern hemisphere. The blue whale is scarce & it’s facing threats of extinction.

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