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The Blue Whale is a large marine animal- in fact, the largest to have ever existed! They’ve reached over 100 feet long, and weigh over 300,000 pounds. Despite their oceanic habitat and similarities to fish, whales are actually mammals belonging to the infraorder Cetacea. Their diets consist mostly of krill, and can eat up to 40 million in a day. Whales are known for their ‘whale song’, a complex series of vocalizations made to help find a mate. Females give birth every 2-3 years, after a period of 10-12 months. The whales are thought to be able to live for 80 years, though it is hard to confirm due to their long lifespan. They are solitary organisms, usually traveling in small groups or alone, but during times of migration or mating can be seen in bigger groups.

Before the mass-hunting of the whales around the early 20th century, Blue Whales were abundant in most oceans around the world. But as technology improved in order to kill them efficiently, their population drastically decreased, almost to the point of extinction. Luckily, people realized their low numbers and worked to help decrease hunting and raise their population. While the number of Blue Whales has increased from that time, they are apparently still under 1% of their population before hunting.