The blue whale is one of the most amazing animals on this earth.
It also happens to be the largest living animal currently in existence.
The blue whale is so giant that some researchers and marine biologists believe that the blue whale is the largest animal to have ever roamed the earth.
It also includes the largest known dinosaurs that inhabited the planet millions of years ago.
Even from birth, the blue whale is a large animal, with some baby whales having been known to be born at lengths of up to 25 ft. long.
Surprisingly, a baby blue whale can consume up to 150 gallons of milk per day during its first year of birth!
When fully matured, the blue whale can reach over 100 ft. long and weigh up to 180 tons.
Nevertheless, most blue whales are considerably smaller and lighter at an average length of 70 – 90 ft. long.
They also weigh much less, with an average weight of between 100 – 150 tons.
In regards to the largest known blue whale to have ever lived on earth, various estimates ranging from 109 ft – 115 ft. long have been speculated by whalers and researchers during the whaling era.
However, no official measurements have been made to verify the 115 ft claim.
The largest scientific measurement officially recorded is around 109 ft. long.
At an average weight of 100 -150 tons (200,000 – 300,000 pounds on average) or more, these whales are also considered one of the heaviest creatures ever living on earth.
There are several areas where the blue whale out measures all of today’s animals.
For instance, a blue whale’s heart can weigh 600 – 1,000 pounds or more, and its tongue can weigh up to 2,500 lbs. (the size of a small car).
Despite being a massive marine mammal, the blue whale feeds primarily on a diet consisting of krill (a tiny animal that averages less than 2 inches).
To consume enough calories, the blue whale can consume up to 40 million krill (8,000 lbs.) per day.
Comparisons
Because it is sometimes difficult for people to understand how giant the blue whale is, we’ve added a few comparisons of other animals so that you could get a better idea of their size.
Here are several other comparisons to stress just how large blue whales are:
- The Largest Dinosaur (Amphicoelias) – The giant dinosaur ever recorded is believed to have reached 130 – 200 ft when fully matured and weighed around 120 tons.
- The Largest Land Animal In Current Existence (The African Elephant) – The largest living land animal can grow to a height of 7 ft – 13 ft and weigh over 13,000 pounds (Maximum weight is around 27,000 pounds).
- The Tallest Animal In Current Existence) The Giraffe – The tallest giraffes in the world can grow to over 19 ft and weigh more than 4,000 pounds.
- The Largest Primate That Ever Lived (The Gigantopithecus) – The largest of these primates stood nearly ten ft. tall and weighed 1,200 pounds.
As you can see, there aren’t many species that can compare to the blue whale in terms of overall size and weight.
Additional Information
Despite these creatures’ massive size, they would never be able to swallow a human.
The blue whale’s throat is about the size of a beach ball or dinner plate (less than 12 inches).
Because of its little throat, this whale survives primarily on a diet consisting of krill ( small shrimp-like creatures).
If the blue whale were to try and consume larger prey, it could get stuck in the blue whale’s throat, which would cause the whale to regurgitate the prey/object it attempted to swallow.