Blue Whales are fantastic creatures and one of the best places to see them is from Southern California. Whale watching trips go out regularly from San Diego, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara.
The Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever live on earth " far larger than the largest dinosaurs, and weighing up to 190 tons, heavier than a DC-10 airliner. For sake of comparison, the largest elephants barely reach 6 tons. Blue Whales have been measured scientifically at 98 feet, and thought to reach more than 110 feet, while the longest dinosaur skeleton measures under 90 feet from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.
There are many myths about these creatures, one is that the heartbeat can be heard for 20 miles which is ridiculous because nobody can even hear a Blue Whale heartbeat from ten feet away.
Interestingly, one of the smallest seabirds on earth, Cassins Auklet, and the Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on earth, both subsist primarily on the same prey: krill. Blue Whales are baleen whales. Instead of teeth, they have a series of flexible plates called baleen that they use to strain up to four tons of these tiny shrimp like crustaceans from the ocean each day.
Blue Whales sometimes cross-breed with Fin Whales which are the second largest animals on earth. At least four of these unique hybrid whales exhibiting characteristics of each parent have been documented by scientists by analyzing DNA.
Blue Whales are usually solitary animals. Sometimes they associate with another individual. Scientists do not know how long Blue Whale couples stay together. Very occasionally, Blue Whales can be found in groups of 40 - 50 individuals in areas where there are high concentrations of food - however this is exceptional. Normally, Blue Whales do not form large close-knit groups like some other whale species.
Blue Whales are fast, strong swimmers with an average speed of about 12 miles per hour with an ability when alarmed to move at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Blue Whales are found all over the world. The waters off Southern California and Baja Mexico are home to perhaps 25% of the worlds population. Theyre most often seen in this area in spring and summer being a favored feeding ground.
Blue Whales are found throughout the world but scientists do not know exactly where they breed or give birth. Feeding has been documented in both tropical and cold polar waters.
Blue Whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands until man developed the technology (like exploding harpoons) to exploit these magnificent creatures in the early twentieth century. For nearly 40 years they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers who destroyed 99 percent of all Blue Whales on earth. They became protected in 1966 when on the brink of extinction. Its estimated that there are only 5,000 to 10,000 Blue Whales left worldwide today.
The Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever live on earth " far larger than the largest dinosaurs, and weighing up to 190 tons, heavier than a DC-10 airliner. For sake of comparison, the largest elephants barely reach 6 tons. Blue Whales have been measured scientifically at 98 feet, and thought to reach more than 110 feet, while the longest dinosaur skeleton measures under 90 feet from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.
There are many myths about these creatures, one is that the heartbeat can be heard for 20 miles which is ridiculous because nobody can even hear a Blue Whale heartbeat from ten feet away.
Interestingly, one of the smallest seabirds on earth, Cassins Auklet, and the Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on earth, both subsist primarily on the same prey: krill. Blue Whales are baleen whales. Instead of teeth, they have a series of flexible plates called baleen that they use to strain up to four tons of these tiny shrimp like crustaceans from the ocean each day.
Blue Whales sometimes cross-breed with Fin Whales which are the second largest animals on earth. At least four of these unique hybrid whales exhibiting characteristics of each parent have been documented by scientists by analyzing DNA.
Blue Whales are usually solitary animals. Sometimes they associate with another individual. Scientists do not know how long Blue Whale couples stay together. Very occasionally, Blue Whales can be found in groups of 40 - 50 individuals in areas where there are high concentrations of food - however this is exceptional. Normally, Blue Whales do not form large close-knit groups like some other whale species.
Blue Whales are fast, strong swimmers with an average speed of about 12 miles per hour with an ability when alarmed to move at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Blue Whales are found all over the world. The waters off Southern California and Baja Mexico are home to perhaps 25% of the worlds population. Theyre most often seen in this area in spring and summer being a favored feeding ground.
Blue Whales are found throughout the world but scientists do not know exactly where they breed or give birth. Feeding has been documented in both tropical and cold polar waters.
Blue Whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands until man developed the technology (like exploding harpoons) to exploit these magnificent creatures in the early twentieth century. For nearly 40 years they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers who destroyed 99 percent of all Blue Whales on earth. They became protected in 1966 when on the brink of extinction. Its estimated that there are only 5,000 to 10,000 Blue Whales left worldwide today.
About the Author:
Terry Hunefeld retired in 2007 from his CEO position to follow his bliss of sailing the ocean to observe birds and marine mammals. He and his wife Ann own the Inn at Moonlight Beach on the Pacific Coast of San Diego. If you are looking for a Del Mar Bed and Breakfast or a Carlsbad Bed and Breakfast, be sure to check out Inn at Moonlight Beach.
