Blue Whale Feeding-By pets12pets.

 Blue Whale Feeding

The blue whale, whose scientific name is Balaenoptera musculus, is the largest animal in the whole world, since this large mammal can be up to 20 meters long and weigh 180 tons.

This name was attributed to her because when we see her underwater, her color is completely blue, however, on the surface she has a more grayish color, another curiosity of her physical appearance is that her belly has a yellowish color due to the large number of microorganisms that live on her skin.

How does the blue whale eat?

Did you know that not all whales have teeth? Those who do not have teeth are bearded, and this is the case of the blue whale, a mammal capable of covering all the nutritional needs of its large body without using teeth because it has none.

Catfish could be defined as a filtration system that sits in the lower jaw and allows these whales to feed slowly by absorbing everything, as the food will be swallowed, but the water will then be expelled.

A blue whale's tongue can weigh as much as an elephant, and thanks to the system of barbs, water can be expelled through the different layers of skinof its huge tongue.

What does the blue whale eat?

The favorite food of the blue whale is krill, a small crustacean whose length varies between 3 and 5 centimeters. In fact, the whale can consume 3.5 tons of krill daily, but also feeds on multiple small lifeforms that inhabit the ocean.

Another food that is exquisite for the blue whale and that it tends to seek out is squid, although it is true that it only eats them when they are in abundant numbers.

A blue whale ingests approximately 3,628 kilograms of food per day.

What do blue whale calves eat?

The blue whale is a large mammal and therefore has features characteristic of this type of animal, including suckling.

However, the young of the blue whale, having been pregnant for about a year in the womb of their mother, need her all the time, since in one day they will consume about 100-150 liters of milk.

Hunting and the population of blue whales

Unfortunately, the blue whale has been threatened due to massive whaling and the slow reproduction of this species. However, today and partly because of the ban on hunting, the data is more positive.

In Antarctica, the population of blue whales is estimated to have increased by 7.3%, an increase in the population living in other geographical areas has also been calculated, but the increase in specimens in these regions is not as important.

The navigation of large ships, fishing and global warming are other factors that jeopardize the survival of this species. It is therefore urgent to act on these points and ensure the reproduction and existence of the blue whale.