The largest animal in the world, the blue whale is the undisputed king of the seas. Majestic and mild mannered, this amazing creature can still be seen swimming wild and free.
As BIG as it gets
When it comes to bragging rights about who is the biggest, the blue whale wins since it is the largest animal on earth, both past and present. On average blue whales reach to lengths of about 70 to 80 feet though some do grow to over 100 feet!
Putting size into perspective
The weight of blue whales can reach up to 200 tonnes or more, while to put their size into perspective; its heart is a size of a small car while the weight of just the tongue is roughly the same as an elephant!
They are mammals
Blue whales are marine mammals with newborn calves dependant on their mother’s milk for the first year.
Spotting them
Blue whales can be spotted in various places around the world including Alaska, Iceland, Baja California, Maldives and in the Sri Lankan East Coast destination of Trincomalee. Hotel options in the area such as Trinco Blu by Cinnamon organise whale watching tours as well.
Their diet
Krill which is somewhat like a tiny shrimp is the main diet of blue whales; as you can imagine such a large creature requires a lot of food and during certain times an adult blue whale can consume krill totalling up to about 4 tonnes daily!
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+