Overview

The blue whale is the biggest animal known to have lived on Earth — longer than any dinosaur, heavier than any elephant. Adults can reach 30 metres and weigh over 150 tonnes, feeding almost exclusively on tiny krill filtered through baleen plates.

Despite their size, blue whales are elusive. They spend much of their lives far offshore, surfacing briefly to breathe before diving for minutes at a time. A close encounter — the whoosh of a blow, the gleam of mottled blue skin — is among the rarest sights in wildlife.

Habitat

Blue whales roam all the world's oceans, migrating between polar feeding grounds rich in krill and warmer breeding waters. They are seen off California, eastern Canada, Sri Lanka, and the Azores, though most of their lives are spent in deep water far from land.

Countries found

Interesting facts

01
Blue whales are the largest animals ever known — their heart alone can weigh 180 kg.
02
They can eat up to four tonnes of krill in a single day.
03
Their low-frequency calls are among the loudest sounds made by any animal.

Conservation status

EN — Endangered

Blue whales are Endangered after commercial whaling reduced populations by over 99%. They are recovering slowly but remain threatened by ship strikes, ocean noise, and climate impacts on krill.