Whales Giants of the Ocean The blue whale

Whales Giants of the Ocean

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing as much as 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants).

The blue whale has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Its stomach can hold one ton of krill and it needs to eat about four tons of krill each day.

Their low frequency whistle can be heard for hundreds of miles and is probably used to attract other blue whales.

They are the loudest animals on Earth and are even louder than a jet engine.

There are other types of whales.

Right Whale The right whale sports white calluses on its head, which stand out against the species’ dark grey body.

The right whale can weigh up to 70 tons. It feeds by swimming through a swarm of plankton with its mouth open and its head slightly above the surface.

Sperm Whale The sperm whale generally lives out in the open sea, usually in marine waters deeper than 1, 000 metres that are not covered by ice. They feed primarily on deepwater squid.

This is a Humpback whale. The humpback whale is famous for its song. Male humpbacks produce a long series of calls.

Beluga Whale The beluga whale is a very sociable whale. It lives, hunts and migrates in pods.

Its big forehead, called a melon, can change shape to allow the whale to make different facial expressions.

Bowhead Whale The bowhead whale is often associated with Arctic ice floes. The species’ movement patterns are influenced by the melting and freezing of ice.

They can use their thick skulls and powerful bodies to burst through at least seven inches of ice.