Blue whales are the largest creatures on Earth; in fact, they're larger than the dinosaurs ever were. Found in all waters around the world, excluding the Arctic, these blue behemoths prefer to travel solo. But they never lose contact, choosing to communicate with other whales through long-range, louder-than-a-jet-engine calls. While currently listed as 'endangered' worldwide, the blue whale population is growing (albeit slowly) - much to the delight of us ocean lovers. So, if you want to learn some facts about how a blue whale's tongue is heavier than an African elephant, or about how they can reduce their heart rates to only two beats per minute then read on for our top ten facts about blue whales...
Heavy weights
Let's begin with the obvious fact about blue whales. They're huge. Measuring up to 100ft in length, blue whales are the world's largest creatures and can weigh up to 200 tonnes. Let's just put that into perspective: they're longer than a basketball court and weigh roughly the same as 133 cars or 1,830 adult humans. And their insides are just as impressive. A blue whale's tongue can weigh as much as an African elephant, and their hearts are around the size of a small car. In fact, the arteries of a blue whale are so large that a small child could swim through them - Jonah and the Whale style - although we don't recommend this.
Big babies
Speaking of children, did you know blue whales give birth to the largest babies? It makes sense when you think about it, but, again, let's put these behemoth babies into perspective. When born, a blue whale calf is 26ft (larger than many full-grown animals) and weighs around 8,800lb. Once born, they quickly pile on the weight, gaining up to 200lb a day, making their growth rate one of the fastest in the animal world.
Kill for some krill
Of course, to keep up their size, blue whales must eat a lot. They feast on krill - small crustaceans - and can hold up to 2,200lb of krill in their stomachs at a time and consume around 9,000lb of these little guys a day (that's around 40 million krill). To scoop up as many as possible in a single mouthful, blue whales can often be seen performing full-body rolls to grab as many as possible.
Long distance relationships
One fact about blue whales that may surprise you is that they can be heard by other animals up to 1,000 miles away. While a jet engine can reach up to 140 decibels, the groans, moans and songs of a blue whale hit an impressive 180 decibels. Blue whales, part of the baleen whale family, also hold the record for singing the longest with many of their songs lasting hours (humpback whales hold the record with a song lasting 23 hours). While it's still not clear why whales sing, the theory is that it revolves around reproduction as it appears only males sing.
Silent breath
Despite their loud songs, the exhale of a blue whale is almost silent. As a mammal, blue whales breathe through their lungs and exhale though blow holes located on the tops of their heads. When ready to exhale a blue whale can shoot water from their blowholes up to 30ft in the air. Yet, unlike dolphins, the sound is almost non-existent.
Deep breaths and slow down
Since we're on the topic of breathing, blue whales do make the most of each breath. They can hold their breath for up to 90 minutes at a time and have a few nifty ways of doing it. First, they can slow down their heart rate by over half, reducing blood flow to non-essential organs when diving (e.g. skin). In fact, blue whales can reduce their heartbeat to just two per minute when diving for food. They can also block certain blood pathways (like those to their stomach) when diving to allow a steady flow of oxygen to their brain.
Speedsters
Although blue whales enjoy cruising the ocean at a comfortable five miles an hour, when necessary, they can accelerate to over 20mph. Often, they'll pick up some speed when feeding to push their throat pouch open with the help of the water pressure.
Solo travellers
Blue whales aren't typically social and are often spotted solo or occasionally in small groups. The only real social bond is between a mother and calf during the first six months of the newborn life. During this time, the calf will nurse from the mother, who produces up to 50 gallons of milk daily. Of this milk, 30 to 50% is butterfat, which allows for those speedy growth spurts we mentioned earlier.
Long lives
Blue whales are among the longest-living animals. They're estimated to live, on average, up to 85 years. However, the oldest blue whale ever recorded was calculated to be around 100 years old.
Conservation status`
It may be a melancholy blue whale fact to end on, but there is hope regarding whale protection. Despite whaling fleets decimating whale populations in the 20th century, killing over 29,000 blue whales in the 1930-31 season alone, their numbers are recovering, with current estimates between 10,000 and 25,000 worldwide.
