The Blue Whale is longer than a basketball court.
The biggest animal is the Blue Whale, a marine mammal that is around 30 metres (98 ft) long and 170 tonnes in weight. Despite its size, it is of no threat to humans. The blue whale feeds mostly on small crustaceans known as krill, eating up to 40 million krill in a day.
Unfortunately, the Blue Whale is an endangered species due to extensive whaling by humans. Although hunting of the species was banned in 1966, around 380,000 Blue Whales were killed for their meat and oil. Although figures are not conclusive, it’s believed that whaling caused the global population to decrease from a pre-whaling figure of 275,000 to between 5,000 and 12,000 in 2002.
Some facts about Blue Whales:
- Their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant
- They live for between 80 to 90 years
- The spray from its blowhole can reach nearly 30 ft (9m) into the air
- They communicate via pulses, groans, and moans
- They can hear each other up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away
- A fully grown adult is the length of three school buses
- They regularly dive over 200 metres (700 ft) to feed
Short answer: The Blue Whale is the biggest animal on the planet. Despite its size, it was almost hunted to extinction by humans.
