Family: Balaenopteridae

Genus: Balaenoptera

Species: musculus

• Blue whales are the largest animal, mammal and marine species ever to live on earth!
  
• The maximum length recorded for a female was 33.5m which is as long as a Boeing 737.
  
• The maximum adlult weight recorded is 190 tons (equivalent to approx. 19 African elephants)
  
• The life span of a blue whale can reach up to 90 years or more
  
• The blue whale belongs to the rorqual group of baleen whales (which includes Minke, Bryde’s, Humpback, Sei and Fin Whales)
  
• The newborn blues are approximately 7 – 8m long and 2.5 – 4 tonnes in weight.
  
• Calves grow 90.7 kg/day and increase in size by 30 times in their 1^st year of life
  
• Blue whales feed by gulping large quantities of krill.  Estimates suggest that a blue whale weighing around 80 tons needs approx. 2 – 3 tons of food a day which equates to millions of krill (Nyctiphanes australis) in one day.
  
• They feed in cool upwelled waters off southern Australia in summer and migrate to warm tropical waters during winter to breed.
  
• They make the loudest sound of any animal which has been detected more than 1000km away.
  
• The blue whale is capable of diving up to 500m in depth when feeding.
  
• Their Baleen plates can be up to 1m in length.
  
• Sadly they are listed as Endangered by the Commonwealth Government of Australia.