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Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus
The blue whale, one of the rorqual whales, is probably the largest animal that has ever lived. Its heart is the size of a small car and its call, at about 180 decibels, is louder than the sound of a jet aircraft taking off. This animal’s future hangs in the balance after decades of whaling. Although it is no longer hunted, it remains seriously endangered.
The blue whale has a flattened head, a pointed snout, and a pleated, expandable throat. The rest of the body tapers to a pair of enormous tail fins (flukes). Blue whales are a mottled blue mixed with gray on their backs, but their undersides vary from white to yellow. They feed by filtering small animals, mostly krill and other small crustaceans, from the water. Their baleen plates can collect over 6,600 lb (3,000 kg) of food a day. Females give birth to a single calf every 2–3 years.
Baleen
Instead of teeth, baleen whales have flexible strips of baleen, or whalebone, which hang from the upper jaw. To feed, the whale takes in a mouthful of water, then sieves it through its baleen. The water is expelled, leaving small animals trapped, which the whale then swallows.
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- Order Cetacea
- Length 80–90 ft (24–27 m)
- Weight Up to 132 tons (120 metric tons)
- Habitat Open ocean
- Distribution Tropical, temperate, subpolar waters worldwide, except in regions with permanent sea ice
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