Larger Than The Dinosaurs
Blue Whales are magnificent creatures. One of the very best places to view them is on a boat from Southern California. Whale watching trips go out regularly from San Diego, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara.
The Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever live on earth " far larger than the largest dinosaurs, and weighing up to 190 tons, heavier than a DC-10 airliner. For sake of comparison, the largest elephants barely reach 6 tons. Blue Whales have been measured scientifically at 98 feet, and thought to reach more than 110 feet, while the longest dinosaur skeleton measures under 90 feet from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.
There are many myths about these creatures, one is that the heartbeat can be heard for 20 miles which is ridiculous because nobody can even hear a Blue Whale heartbeat from ten feet away.
Interestingly, one of the smallest seabirds on earth, Cassins Auklet, and the Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on earth, both subsist primarily on the same prey: krill. Blue Whales are baleen whales. Instead of teeth, they have a series of flexible plates called baleen that they use to strain up to four tons of these tiny shrimp like crustaceans from the ocean each day.
Blue Whales have been known to breed with Fin Whales, the second largest animals on earth. Several hybrid whales have been documented by scientists using DNA analysis.
Blue Whales are usually solitary animals. Sometimes they associate with another individual. Scientists do not know how long Blue Whale couples stay together. Very occasionally, Blue Whales can be found in groups of 40 - 50 individuals in areas where there are high concentrations of food - however this is exceptional. Normally, Blue Whales do not form large close-knit groups like some other whale species.
Blue Whales usually travel at 10 - 12 miles per hour, however, when they are alarmed they are capable to moving faster than 30 miles per hour!
Blue Whales are found all over the world. The waters off Southern California and Baja Mexico are home to perhaps 25% of the worlds population. Theyre most often seen in this area in spring and summer being a favored feeding ground.
Blue Whales are found all over the world in both cold and warm waters. Its not known for certain where they breed and give birth, but is suspected to be in warmer waters. Feeding has been documented in temperate, tropical and polar waters.
Blue Whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands until man developed the technology (like exploding harpoons) to exploit these magnificent creatures in the early twentieth century. For nearly 40 years they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers who destroyed 99 percent of all Blue Whales on earth. They became protected in 1966 when on the brink of extinction. Its estimated that there are only 5,000 to 10,000 Blue Whales left worldwide today.
The Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever live on earth " far larger than the largest dinosaurs, and weighing up to 190 tons, heavier than a DC-10 airliner. For sake of comparison, the largest elephants barely reach 6 tons. Blue Whales have been measured scientifically at 98 feet, and thought to reach more than 110 feet, while the longest dinosaur skeleton measures under 90 feet from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.
There are many myths about these creatures, one is that the heartbeat can be heard for 20 miles which is ridiculous because nobody can even hear a Blue Whale heartbeat from ten feet away.
Interestingly, one of the smallest seabirds on earth, Cassins Auklet, and the Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on earth, both subsist primarily on the same prey: krill. Blue Whales are baleen whales. Instead of teeth, they have a series of flexible plates called baleen that they use to strain up to four tons of these tiny shrimp like crustaceans from the ocean each day.
Blue Whales have been known to breed with Fin Whales, the second largest animals on earth. Several hybrid whales have been documented by scientists using DNA analysis.
Blue Whales are usually solitary animals. Sometimes they associate with another individual. Scientists do not know how long Blue Whale couples stay together. Very occasionally, Blue Whales can be found in groups of 40 - 50 individuals in areas where there are high concentrations of food - however this is exceptional. Normally, Blue Whales do not form large close-knit groups like some other whale species.
Blue Whales usually travel at 10 - 12 miles per hour, however, when they are alarmed they are capable to moving faster than 30 miles per hour!
Blue Whales are found all over the world. The waters off Southern California and Baja Mexico are home to perhaps 25% of the worlds population. Theyre most often seen in this area in spring and summer being a favored feeding ground.
Blue Whales are found all over the world in both cold and warm waters. Its not known for certain where they breed and give birth, but is suspected to be in warmer waters. Feeding has been documented in temperate, tropical and polar waters.
Blue Whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands until man developed the technology (like exploding harpoons) to exploit these magnificent creatures in the early twentieth century. For nearly 40 years they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers who destroyed 99 percent of all Blue Whales on earth. They became protected in 1966 when on the brink of extinction. Its estimated that there are only 5,000 to 10,000 Blue Whales left worldwide today.
About the Author:
Terry Hunefeld retired from a CEO career in 2007 to pursue his passion of going to sea to observe birds and marine mammals. He and his wife Ann own the beautiful Inn at Moonlight Beach on the Pacific Coast of San Diego. If you would like to stay at a Bed and Breakfast in Del Mar or a Bed and Breakfast in Carlsbad, be sure to check out Inn at Moonlight Beach.