How Big Are Blue Whales

Blue whales are one of the most well-loved and liked marine creatures on the planet. Their gentleness and how majestic they swim through the depths make them a fine attraction in parts of the world where they are occasionally seen. They are considered one of the biggest marine mammals in the world, and the interest in their size sparks good conversation from every mind.

If you are wondering how big blue whales are, you are not alone. While they are considered the biggest marine mammal in the world, they are not considered the largest fish because they aren’t fish! Sounds crazy, right? Whale sharks are considered to be the biggest fish in the world, in case you are wondering. On the flip side, if you are curious how these marine mammals can be as big as they are, we will be diving down deeper to explore the lives of these gentle giants!

Blue Whales – More Than Meets the Size

So, how big are blue whales? While blue whales aren’t considered the largest fish, they are considered the largest animal in the world. These majestic mammals can grow as big as 100 feet and weigh as much as 200 tons. In addition, it is studied that their tongue can weigh as much as an elephant and their hearts as heavy as a car. Quite remarkable, right?

Despite their mind-boggling proportion, their primary diet consists of the smallest organisms in the world, krill. However, it would take roughly about 4 tons of krill in a day to meet their daily demands. So that’s how they got their nutrition and size from. Blue whales belong to the family of baleen whales; when you belong to baleen whales, you have this distinct feature of having a fringe-plated fingernail-like composition called baleen.

One impressive way these blue whales gather up about 4 tons of krill in a day is how they feed. These humongous animals first gulp large amounts of water in the mouth and sift through the water, expanding their mouth to such an extent that they can take it all in. After that, their overlapping baleen plates sift through the water, leaving all the krill inside their mouth.

The blue whale got their name because of how they look underwater, and they can be as blue as they can be. But when they approach the water's surface, this color changes from deep blue down to a mottled gray-like appearance. This is because their underbellies aren’t white when they breach the water, and it takes on a somewhat orange to the yellow hue from various microorganisms that have taken shelter in their bodies.

How Come They Are The Biggest? How Big Are Blue Whales

What do we mean when we say the biggest animal in the world? Are there any factors that we allude to? What does bigger mean in the animal kingdom? That’s that thing that most researchers have concluded. When you say biggest, this means their overall weight when they reach maturity. So it is one of the deciding factors when you consider an animal to be the biggest one.

For example, the elephant is considered the largest land animal in the world not because of their sheer size but because of how heavy they are. And that is why we need to layout everything when it comes to considering the word ‘biggest.’

To put everything in perspective, a regular adult blue whale can weigh as much as 100 to 150 tons, not surprising, right? So despite their length being already impressive, their weight is one of the factors that makes them the biggest one.

For comparison, elephants – which are the biggest land animals globally, can weigh as much as 6 to 7 tons. Yet, despite their huge size and weight, they are easily dwarfed by the blue whales on a whim.

How Big Are Their Hearts?

When you are the biggest creature in the entire world, this makes sense that some of your body parts and organs are also one of the biggest ones there is, right? Therefore, there’s a huge interest in some of the blue whale’s parts, such as its heart. It is rumored that the blue whale’s heart is the same size as that of a regular sedan. Is this true? Although we can safely say that it has the potential due to its sheer size, that’s not the case.

When divers found a blue whale carcass that had a length of 76 feet, they could dissect the dead body of the whale and preserve the heart. Unfortunately, it was one of the heaviest when they got the heart, going up to a staggering 400 pounds. The heart may be huge and heavy, but it doesn’t come to class to the rumors that it can surpass a typical car.

Furthermore, baby blue whales are considered to be the biggest living babies in the world. When a female gives birth to a live young, it can rival one of the sea's apex predators in terms of sheer size. A baby blue whale can be as big as an adult orca, and amazingly, they grow 250 to 300 pounds of weight each day while being nursed by their mom. A female blue whale can give birth to a live young every 2-3 years and weigh as much as 3 tons. Quite bizarre, right?

Conclusion

Despite being the largest creature globally, blue whales are not exempted from various threats in the world. From global warming, bycatching, ocean pollution, and many more. Plus, it doesn’t help that they reproduce once every 2 to 3 years either. Now that you know how big blue whales are, hopefully, you become more appreciative of them.  

Show them that you truly care about them. Thanks to various laws and acts, they are now protected and being constantly monitored for their population. Blue whales are considered endangered, and it is up to us to help them be preserved for years to come for our children’s children to witness how these majestic creatures came to be.

 And you can take part in helping protect and preserve every single sea creature by supporting us here at ATOLEA Jewelry. With every purchase you make from our Ocean-inspired jewelry, part of it goes to Ocean conservation charities mission to save the Ocean.

So dive into our wide selection of meaningful ATOLEA Ocean-inspired jewelry now and bring with you your love for the Ocean anywhere you go!