Blue Whale Facts for Kids

The Blue Whale which belongs to Baleen whale genus is largest of all creatures living on earth. This whale can grow up to a length of 32 meters and weigh around 200 tons. Body color is indigo and the shade can vary from dark azure to slate. The scientific name of this whale is Balaenoptera musculus and it has three subspecies i.e., Balaenoptera musculus musculus, Balaenoptera musculus intermedia and Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda.

Facts about Blue Whale

The blue whale fact sheet presented below should make us aware of the body features, behavioral traits and other data related to these whales. The following facts about Blue Whale should prove to be useful.

• The Blue Whales as stated earlier, belong to the group of baleen whales. These whales don't have teeth but baleen plates lined inside their jaws. The Blue Whale swallows krill along with water; the water is then forced out if the body and krill get caught in the mouth (which form their diet).
• The Blue Whale has a huge appetite and requires around 4-8 tons of krill (a kind of shrimp) for their daily diet.
• The whales are known to migrate for mating. This migration takes place in the warmer season. Otherwise, the Blue Whales can be found in all the oceans on earth.
• Reproduction in these whales takes place every 2-3 years. Average lifespan of Blue Whales is 80-90 years. However, older ones (110 yr.) have also been found.
• The microorganisms called diatoms found in North Pacific, North Atlantic and Antarctic areas (owing cold waters) get attached to the underside of whales.
• The Blue Whales are known to travel at a speed of 5 miles/hr. However, they can increase the speed up to 20 miles/hr when agitated.
• The water sprayed by Blue Whales at the time of exhalation can reach the height of 30 feet.

Other Interesting Blue Whale Facts

The sheer size and weight of these creatures make us curious to know more about them. The Blue whale facts for kids that are presented below should therefore, prove to be useful.

• Weight of the tongue of a Blue Whale is equal to that of a full-grown elephant; the weight is 2.7 metric tons. Heart of the Blue Whale weighs around 1300 lbs.
• Size of baby whales at the time of birth is equal to that of elephants. These whales weigh around 2 tons and their length is 8 meters.
• A growing baby whale puts on 90 lbs weight everyday only feeding on mother's milk; the daily intake of milk by baby whales is 100 liters. These baby blue whale facts give us an idea of the huge size and appetite.
• Blue whales produce a sound that ranges between 155 and 188 decibels. The sound produced by Blue whales is of 10-40 Hz. Frequency and it can reach distances up to 1000 miles.
• Blue whale is not just the biggest creature on earth of today's times. It is probably the biggest animal ever; this is because, the blue whale is even bigger than the largest dinosaur, Argentinosaurus of the Mesozoic Era. Information on other whales like the Beluga Whale facts and Sperm Whale facts should also prove to be useful.

Blue whale hunting on a large scale began in the twentieth century. By the year 1966, whaling had brought this huge animal on the verge of extinction; it was in this year that the international community decided to protect whales after which their population has stabilized. The estimated Blue Whale figure in year 2007 was in the range of 5000-8000.

The Blue Whale facts presented in this article presents information about body features and characteristics. The measures taken for the revival of Blue whale population should help increase their population.