SPECIES
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
The largest animal known to have lived feeds mainly on tiny krill, filtering them through baleen.
The greatest body in the animal kingdom is sustained by some of the smallest ocean animals. Blue whales take krill from huge mouthfuls of seawater.
How big is a blue whale?
up to 110 ft in Antarctica
What does a blue whale eat?
mainly krill
Where does a blue whale live?
all oceans except the Arctic
A giant built to filter
Blue whales often travel alone or in pairs and may move between feeding and breeding waters.
An ocean-spanning life
Blue whales occur across the world’s oceans except the Arctic, with movements varying by population.
Ships and fishing gear
Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear remain major threats.
Sources
Records of where it has been seen come live from GBIF; observed interactions from GloBI. Draft — not yet reviewed by a person.