(949) 675-0551

BLUE WHALE
(Balaenoptera Musculus)

 
Blue Whale Watching DESCRIPTION: These whales are quite possibly the largest animal to ever live on the planer Earth on land or in the sea. They can reach lengths of over 100 feet although typically they range from 75-80 feet in the Northern Hemisphere. Females are generally larger than males due to the need for extra weight for birthing and caring for the calf. Given the name Blue whale, these whales have an aqua blue hue when surfacing that seems to glow beneath the surface. They have a bluish grey top with a yellow or green colored belly from diatom growth (planktonic algae), which gave them the name “sulfur bottom” whale to early whalers. These whales are fast travelers and have a smooth appearance with no barnacles or parasites unlike other slower whale species like gray whales or humpbacks. Blue whales are one of a group of whales called rorquals which is classified by the presence of a dorsal fin and pleated throat grooves. Blue whales have a very small dorsal fin located about ¾ of the way back on their body and 60-90 throat grooves. A blue whale spout or blow can be seen for miles as it reaches nearly 20 feet into the air like a giant geyser.
  RANGE/HABITAT: Blue whales are found in every ocean all over the world however one of the largest populations can be seen from May-September off the California coast. There are around 2,000 blue whales in the Eastern Pacific population that range in a migration from Alaska to Costa Rica. They feed throughout their range exclusively on krill. In the summer months when warmer waters bring high productivity to our coast the krill are found in high density and the blue whales feast on them until the water temperature starts to chill and they continue south towards Costa Rica.
Blue Whale BEHAVIOR: Blue whales are baleen whales which feed extensively on krill. Baleen is a brush like structure on the inside of their mouth which is modified teeth used to trap krill inside their mouth like a sieve. The baleen is made of keratin, the same protein that makes our hair and fingernails. When blue whales feed they take giant mouthfuls of water and krill opening their throats like huge balloons and pushing the water out though the baleen with their tongue. With this eating method a single blue whale can consume up to 40 million krill or 4 tons in one day! This is also way it is uncommon to see multiple blue whales in the same area, there is simply just not enough food to go around so they spread themselves out. It is common to see them however in pairs which are most likely mother and calf couples. These whales are also extremely fast and can reach speeds of 30 mph if frightened but generally keep a speed of around 12 mph when cruising. Because of their enormous weight they are rarely seen breaching or jumping but can be seen sounding or diving leaving a spectacular view of their fluke and a smooth spot where they dove called a foot print.
  MATING / BREEDING: It is thought that the blue whales migrate to the warmer waters off Costa Rica to mate and give birth. Blue whales give birth every 2-3 years and have a gestation period for about a year. When the babies are born they already weigh 500 lbs and have a length of nearly 20 feet. They nurse on the mother’s milk for 7-8 months consuming 100 gallons of super rich and fatty milk a day and gaining 200 lbs a day. The babies grow fast at about 1 ½ inches a day! Blue whales reach their sexual maturity around 6-10 years or at a length of 74 feet for males and 79 feet for females.
Blue Whale Watching STATUS: Blue whales were hunted to near extinction due to their size and value. A 90 foot blue whale would produce 120 barrels of whale oil in the early 1900’s and were killed by the thousands because of this. The hunting peaked in 1931 when nearly 30,000 whales were killed in one season. Pre-whaling records estimated the world population to have been over 350,000 but the whaling effort killed off 99%. With the ban on hunting by the International Whaling Commission in 1966 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972, the population has been able to stabilize and maybe increase slowly in some areas. It is estimated that the current populations are around 5-10,000 in the southern hemisphere and only 3-4,000 in the northern hemisphere. Although whaling has stopped the populations are still presently threatened by global climate change, chemical pollutants like PCB’s and heavy metals. Human interference from abandoned fishing nets, plastic trash and sound pollution may increase their chances of boat strikes or drowning.
   
 
For Reservations Call:
 
 
(949) 675-0551
 
     
 
Newport Beach Whale Watching 309 Palm St. #A - Newport Beach CA. 92661
 
 
Copyright © 2001 Newport Landing Whale Watching
 

 

Whale Watching | Whale Watching Dana Point Visitors | Whale Watching Long Beach Visitors | Whale Watching Los Angeles Visitors
Whale Watching San Diego Visitors | Huntington Beach Whale Watching | Whale Watching Laguna Beach | Catalina Island Whale Watching