[INFORMATIVE] Ocean Giants: The Blue Whale

Ocean Giants: The Blue Whale

By: Wajiha Hasan

Reading the title, you may conclude that blue whales are the biggest animals in the ocean. This is correct, but they are also the largest species to ever exist in the whole world. However, they might lose this precious title, as they are known to be endangered. Endangered species are animals that are at risk of going extinct due to their declining numbers.

Species Overview

• Their group name is known as a pod.
• They are a type of mammals
• Their scientific name is Balaenoptera musculus.
• They weigh up to 200 tons.
• Their size is about 80 to 105 feet.
• They are found in all oceans except the Arctic.
• Their lifespan is about 80 to 90 years.
• They are carnivores.
• Young blue whales are called calves, born after a gestation period of about 11 months.
• They never sleep, or else they will drown.
• They are conscious breathers that come to the surface of the water to breathe.
• They rest only one half of their brain in order to be aware and stay alive.
• They look blue underwater, but on the surface, they appear a bit more gray.

Size & Physiology
Only their tongue weighs as much as an elephant, while their heart is as heavy as a bike. Their size is similar to that of a bus or an 8- to 10-story building; that's how big they are. Scientists can determine a blue whale's age by examining the layers of wax accumulated in their ear canals, similar to tree rings.

Communication + Reproduction
They produce sounds louder than a jet engine at takeoff, reaching up to 188 decibels, and communicate through songs consisting of four notes each. Blue whale calves, born weighing about three tons and measuring 23 to 26 feet, feed solely on their mother's milk for the first 6 to 18 months, consuming approximately 150 gallons per day.

Behavior
Blue whales are not very social; they value their personal space and would rather swim alone in the ocean or in pairs. Even then, they swim several kilometers apart from each other. Despite this, they can come together in groups of as many as 60 when there is a large meal available.

Speaking of meals, they primarily consume krill, eating up to 40 million, or about 4 tons, daily during peak feeding season. Since blue whales have very little hair and no skin glands for insulation (which provide resistance to heat flow), they depend on their blubber for temperature control. The blubber is a thick tissue that acts as a thermal insulator and makes up about 27 percent of their body mass.

Adaptations + Threats
Blue whales have very few predators; the only known one is the killer whale, or orca. Orcas gather from all sides to prevent the blue whale from escaping, leaving teeth scars on their bodies, but such attacks are very rare. Unfortunately, the biggest threat to blue whales is humans. The threats include commercial whaling, noise pollution, ship strikes, and climate change. Around 1,000 whales are killed each year, with an estimated 360,000 slaughtered due to whaling for their meat and blubber, which are sold for profit. Even when there is a law banning whaling, some countries, like Iceland, Japan, and Norway, continue to hunt them.

When blue whales try to communicate with each other in the ocean, commercial ships create noise akin to trying to hear someone in a loud party. Since the 1950s, underwater noise has doubled every decade. The good news is that this problem can be addressed relatively easily: simply lowering the speed of ships makes the ocean quieter and calmer.

The biggest threat blue whales face is ship strikes. This occurs when ships navigate in lanes where these whales are found. Due to their enormous size and the fact that they often come to the ocean's surface to breathe, they are very vulnerable to collisions with vessels. Fishing gear is another significant problem; it is often thrown into the water and harms marine life by polluting the ocean. It is estimated that thousands of whales die each year due to entanglement in fishing gear.

Lastly, climate change affects the ocean by raising temperatures, limiting food availability, and altering blue whales' habitats. These combined threats significantly endanger the survival of this magnificent species.

Importance
Classified as endangered, blue whales play a crucial role in the ecosystem by fertilizing the ocean with their iron-rich feces, promoting phytoplankton growth, which is essential for oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption.

Despite their significance in combating climate change through carbon capture, blue whales have suffered a severe population decline due to commercial whaling, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts, responsible whale-watching practices, and raising awareness about these magnificent creatures.

This needs to be preserved for the betterment of both blue whales and our environment. The good part is that some measures are being put into action, such as the 1996 International Whaling Commission, where they are protected.


Citations
Unbelievable facts. “12 Fascinating Facts About Blue Whales.” YouTube, 3 Jan. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=frxDizP8IBA.

International Fund for Animal Welfare. “Blue Whales: Facts, Threats, and Our Conservation Plan | IFAW.” IFAW, www.ifaw.org/animals/blue-whales#threats.

“Blue Whale - WWF-Australia | Blue Whale | WWF Australia.” WWF Australia, wwf.org.au/what-we-do/species/blue-whale.“WATCH: Blue Whales 101.” Animals, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/blue-whale.