1. BLUE WHALES
By: Daksh Juneja
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2. INTRODUCTION TO WHALES
The Blue Whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of
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baleen (no teeth) whales . At up to 32.9 metres in length and 190
tonnes or more in weight, it is the largest whale and the largest
living animal and is believed to be the largest animal ever to have
existed.
Long and slender, the Blue Whale's body can be various shades of bluish-grey and a lighter colour underneath
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the body .There are at least three distinct subspecies: B. m. musculus of the north Atlantic and north Pacific, B.
m. intermedia, of the Southern Ocean and B. m. brevicauda (also known as the Pygmy Blue Whale) found in
the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean. B. m. indica, found in the Indian Ocean, may be another
subspecies. As with other baleen whales, its diet consists almost exclusively of small crustaceans known as
krill
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3. INTRODUCTION TO WHALES
CONTINUED
Blue Whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans until the beginning of the twentieth century. For
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over 40 years they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers until protected by the international
community in 1966. A 2002 report estimated there were 5,000 to 12,000 Blue Whales worldwide
located in at least five groups. More recent research into the Pygmy subspecies suggests this may be
an underestimate. Before whaling the largest population was in the Antarctic, numbering
approximately 239,000 (range 202,000 to 311,000). There remain only much smaller (around 2,000)
concentrations in each of the North-East Pacific, Antarctic, and Indian Ocean groups. There are two
more groups in the North Atlantic and at least two in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

4. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Blue whales mostly travel alone or in groups of 2-3. Larger groups of up
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to 60 whales have been reported and are probably associated with
feeding grounds. However, the blue whale has the most powerful and
deepest voice in the animal kingdom, and its low-frequency sounds can
travel in deep water over hundreds, or even thousands, of miles. Under
these circumstances, animals which may appear to us to be traveling
alone may actually be in constant contact with one another
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

5. GROWTH / LIFE STYLE
Growth:
Most young blue whales grow 0.3 metres, 90 Kilograms Per Day
• Life Cycle:
At birth, a blue whale calf is the largest baby on earth: approximately 8 m long and weighing about 4 tons. They grow at a
rate of 90 kg and one inch per day this growth rate is astonishing, and is probably the fastest in the animal kingdom. From
conception to weaning, it represents an increase in tissue of several billion-fold in little more than a year and a half.Like
other baleen whales, the blue whale has no teeth so it is difficult to tell its age (teeth can be used to estimate age in other mammals). However,
scientists believe they live until they are at least 50.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

6. HABITAT
The blue whale is found mostly in cold and temperate waters, and it
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prefers deeper ocean waters to coastal waters. Like many other
baleen whales, it feeds in cool waters at high latitudes, and generally
migrates to warmer temperate and tropical waters to breed and give
birth, although in some areas it appears that the species may be
resident year-round.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

7. BREEDING
Usually one calf is born, every 2 - 3 years. Recent evidence
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suggests however that the inter-breeding interval is shorter than
before whaling occurred, possibly to increase the growth rate of
the populations
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

8. DIET
During the summer feeding period, a blue whale eats about 40 million krill each day,
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amounting to about 3,600 kg. It expands its throat plates and takes in water with krill,
then pushes out the water through the baleen plates, and swallows the krill that has
stayed inside the mouth.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

9. ADAPTIVE FEATURE
A whale's quot;nostrilsquot; are called blowholes and are on the top of its head. Some
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whales have one blowhole and others have two. Unlike humans, whales breathe
voluntarily. That means they choose when to take a breath. This is important
because whales can't breathe underwater. They surface every few minutes to
blow out a mixture of water and air and take in a breath of fresh air
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10. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
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11. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
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12. PICS AND MULTIMEDIA
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13. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
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14. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
Blue Whale Call (Atlantic)
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15. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
Pacific Call
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16. PICS & MULTIMEDIA
South Pacific Call
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17. THE END
Wednesday, March 18, 2009