Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
- Scientific name
- Balaenoptera musculus
- Group
- Marine mammals
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Where to see it
- Cold / polar waters, Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Endangered
Did you know?
The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed, with a heart alone that weighs as much as a small car. It feeds almost entirely on krill, swallowing up to 4 tons a day by filtering water through its baleen plates.
What defines this group — Marine mammals
Warm-blooded, they nurse their young and breathe air — the group closest to us underwater.
- They breathe through a blowhole (whales, dolphins) or nostrils (seals, sea lions).
- A thick layer of blubber, rather than fur, insulates them from the cold.
- Many navigate and hunt by sound, using echolocation.