Since each fluke (tail fin) is unique, like a human fingerprint, scientists use flukes to monitor the habits and migrations of individual whales.
Since each fluke (tail fin) is unique, like a human fingerprint, scientists use flukes to monitor the habits and migrations of individual whales.
Photograph by Richard Fitzer, Shutterstock

Blue Whale

The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world.

Common Name:
Blue Whale
Scientific Name:
Balaenoptera musculus
Type:
Mammals
Diet:
Carnivore
Group Name:
Pod
Average Life Span In The Wild:
80 to 90 years
Size:
82 to 105 feet
Weight:
Up to 200 tons

Blue whales are able to breathe air, but they are very comfortable in the ocean waters where buoyancy helps to support their incredible bulk. These mammals are found in all the world's oceans and often swim in small groups or alone.

A blue whale calf weighs two tons (1,814 kilograms) at birth and gains an extra 200 pounds (91 kilograms) each day of its first year. These giant creatures feed on tiny shrimplike animals called krill.

Only a few thousand blue whales are believed to swim the world's oceans. They were hunted for many years for their blubber and oil, and they were almost hunted to extinction. They were protected under the 1966 International Whaling Convention and are now considered to be an endangered species.

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