Facts and More Facts About the Largest Animal on Earth. Blue whales are, without a doubt, the largest animal to have ever lived on this planet. These spectacular marine mammals govern the oceans at a length of up to a hundred feet and weigh an astounding 200 tons. We know that an elephant weighs so much, but it’s only as heavy as the blue whale’s tongue, and the blue whale’s hearts can weigh as much as a car.
In this article, we would be discussing things about interesting blue whale facts that would surely amaze you. Let us see how many of you already know these facts. So, hang on to your seats because this will surely blow you away.
Blue Whales Have a 150 Pound Testicle
Yes, you read that right. One testicle weights up to 150 pounds and contains sperm that would reach up to 7 gallons. When they mate with a female blue whale, they ejaculate up to 4 gallons of sperm.
Blue Whales Have The Biggest Penis
Who said size doesn’t matter? They surely matter for blue whales, as they have the largest penis in the Kingdom Animalia, and are usually hidden inside a genital slit when performing normal daily activities, thus making blue whales more streamlined while swimming. Their penises would reach up to a length of 10 feet long and 30 centimeters wide.
The length of their penis can also be an indicator of their maturity. It can also depend on the genetics and the general size of the mammal. The weight of it can also reach and be assumed to be ranging from 390 to 990 pounds.
Blue Whales Have a “Small” Diet
They might be the largest animal on the planet, but their diet is mainly composed of tiny krills, which is a tiny marine creature that is measured to be only 1 to 2 centimeters. To think about, they can weigh as much as 180 tons and an average range of 100 to 150 tons, that would only mean blue whales eat a lot.
When talking about mealtime, blue whales are able to consume as much as up to 40 million krill in one day. Yes, that is correct, 40 million. That would end up weighing near 3,000 kilograms, imagine eating that much for a day. You can’t, can you?
Blue Whales Don’t Have Teeth
Instead of having teeth, blue whales have baleen on both sides of their jaw. They contain 270 – 395 plates of baleen, and they look like a lengthy tooth placed very close with one another. They use these baleens to grab tiny creatures that they have for their chow time.
When blue whales eat, they trap their prey into these baleen plates when they suck in a huge quantity of water, and that is why these plates are closely placed to one another.
Blue Whales are at Risk of Being Extinct
There used to be so many blue whales before the 19th century, but because of commercial whaling, accidental vessel strikes, and being entangled by fishing gears, they are now considered to be endangered. Their numbers significantly dropped during the early 1900s.
Blue whales are now at risk and are under the Endangered Species Act. There are certain organizations such as NOAA Fisheries and their partners who are determined to preserve and in restoring blue whales globally.
Takeaway
Blue whales are such majestic creatures, and they deserve our utmost respect. So, let’s do our parts in preserving these amazing animals. Now you already know some of the facts about them. Which of these facts have you already heard of? There are a lot of amazing facts about blue whales, and you can search them all throughout the internet.