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Blue Whale: Facts About the Largest Mammal on the Earth!

Prateek Pawar
Blue whales are the largest mammals on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at up to 100 feet long and upwards of 200 tons. Take this quiz to enhance your knowledge on this majestic creature!
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Quick Info
Blue whale, (Balaenoptera musculus), also called sulfur-bottom whale is the most massive animal ever to have lived on Earth. Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant. Their hearts, as much as an automobile!
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Did You Know?
Blue whales reach mind-boggling dimensions on a diet composed nearly exclusively of tiny shrimp like animals called krill. During certain times of the year, a single adult blue whale consumes about 4 tons of krill a day.
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Amazing Fact
Blue whales are the loudest animals on Earth and are even louder than a jet engine. Their calls reach 188 decibels, while a jet reaches 140 decibels.
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Did You Know?
Blue whales are among Earth's longest-lived animals. Their average lifespan is estimated at around 80 to 90 years. Scientists can estimate age by counting the layers of wax-like earplugs collected from deceased whales.
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Amazing Fact
The dorsal fin, which is located on the back of blue whales, has markings that are comparable to a human fingerprint. Marine biologists will often use the dorsal to identify one blue whale from another.
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Know This…
Among all the observed blue whales about one-quarter of them have scars from being aggressively ambushed by orcas (killer whales).
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Trivia
Except the Arctic Ocean, Blue whales are found everywhere. Usually, they migrate seasonally between summer feeding grounds and winter breeding grounds. Moreover, there is also some evidence which suggests that individual whales remain in certain areas year-round.
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Know This…
During the 1900s, due to aggressive hunting by whalers seeking whale oil, whales were driven almost to the brink of extinction. Finally, in 1966, they came under protection of the International Whaling Commission. However, they've managed only a minor recovery since then.
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Quick Info
Shipping lanes are deadly to whales as they move at high speeds & do not account for strike avoidance. Fishing practices result in entanglement of large whales in fishing nets. Climate change is also a major factor as it alters the life cycles of whales.
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Fun Fact
Baby whales are called calves. Usually, single younglings are born, tail is developed first in order to prevent drowning, and twins are very rare.
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Trivia
The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is an international environmental agreement signed in 1946 in order to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry".
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Know This…
Blue whales are formally classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and considered depleted and strategic under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed blue whales as endangered.
You have now reached the end of the quiz! Hope you enjoyed the quiz and gained a fair amount of knowledge on the majestic blue whale. Proceed to see your result.