A Picture of a Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

Blue Whale Facts

  • Name: Blue Whale
  • Binomial Name: Balaenoptera musculus
  • Lifespan: Between 80 and 90 years (wild)
  • Diet: Carnivorous
  • Range: All Major Oceans
  • Length: Up to 92 feet
  • Weight: Between 50 and 150 short tons

15 Blue Whale Facts for Kids

  1. A blue whale is a baleen whale.
  2. The binomial name for a blue whale is Balaenoptera musculus.
  3. An adult blue whale can live between 80 and 90 years in the wild.
  4. An adult blue whale can weigh between 100,000 and 300,000 pounds.
  5. Blue whales are carnivorous.
  6. Blue whales feed almost entirely on krill, along with copepods and certain types of zooplankton.
  7. A male blue whale is called a bull.
  8. A female blue whale is a called a cow.
  9. A young blue whale is called a calf.
  10. Blue whales have a heart the size of a motor vehicle and a tongue that weighs the same as an adult elephant.
  11. A blue whale can swim up to 20 miles per hour.
  12. Blue whales are the largest animals ever known, both living and extinct, on our planet.
  13. In 2002, the blue whale population was estimated to be between 5,000 and 12,000 worldwide.
  14. In the 20th century whale hunting reduced the population of blue whales by more than 99%.
  15. The IUCN conservation status for blue whales is listed as endangered.

More Whale Facts

Additional Resources on Blue Whales