A blue whale heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle and pumps 10 tons of blood through the massive blue whale body. A blue whale aorta (the main blood vessel) alone is large enough for a human to crawl through.

Blue whale blows, also called spouts, consist of air and water and rise about 30 feet (9.1 meters) high.

Where do blue whales live?

Blue whales live in all oceans of the world. They feed in high latitudes and migrate to the tropics to breed and give birth.

How many blue whales are there?

The worldwide blue whale population is unknown however, blue whales are considered endangered according to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Blue whales were hunted extensively for their large quantities of baleen, blubber, and meat. Although blue whales are protected, their populations show few signs of recovery.

How can I identify a blue whale?

They are huge! Blue whales in the Antarctic reportedly reached lengths of 110 feet (33.5 meters), however most probably grow to 80-90 feet (24.4-27.4 meters) long. Female blue whales are generally larger than males, and northern hemisphere blue whales are generally smaller than those in the southern hemisphere. Blue whales are light bluish gray on their dorsal side and mottled gray whitish on their bellies. Some have yellowish bellies.

How well can a blue whale see or hear?

It is hard to know the answer to this question since blue whales are so big and live in the open ocean. It is thought that baleen whales (including blue whales) probably have excellent hearing, especially at low frequencies, which is valuable in the dark ocean environment where vision is less useful.

What do blue whales eat?

Blue whales filter their food through their baleen plates. Blue whales eat krill (euphausiids) and copepods. A blue whale can eat up to 8,000 lbs. of krill during its peak consumption period. It is estimated to take 2,200 lbs. of food to fill a blue whale's stomach.

How do blue whales have their young?

Blue whales begin mating between 5-10 years of age. Females are pregnant for about 11 months and females get pregnant approximately every two to four years. Calves can gain 200 lbs. each day while nursing. Mother and calf form a very close bond, with the baby often swimming close to its mother.

How long do blue whales live? How do they die?

Because of an absence of teeth (which can be used to estimate age in other mammals), it is difficult to tell how old blue whales are when they die. It is believed they live past 50 years old.