Blue Whales

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth. It is even bigger than the biggest dinosaurs. Blue whales can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons. Despite their huge size, they eat tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill.

Incredible Size

A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car. Its tongue alone weighs as much as an elephant. A baby blue whale is about 25 feet long at birth. Blue whale blood vessels are so wide that a small child could crawl through them.

Feeding on Krill

Blue whales eat up to 4 tons of krill every day. They gulp huge mouthfuls of water and filter out the tiny krill. Their throat has pleated folds that expand like an accordion. During feeding season, a blue whale can eat 40 million krill in a single day.

Fun Facts

• A blue whale's heart is about the size of a golf cart.
• Blue whales are so loud that their calls can be heard by other whales hundreds of miles away.
• A baby blue whale gains about 200 pounds every day during its first year.

Did You Know?

Blue whales were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1900s. Thanks to a worldwide ban on hunting them, their numbers are slowly growing again.