blue whales

             is the case for all baleen whales.The largest specimen found was a female 94.
             feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons? (Satchell 1998). The head of the.
             Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with.
             other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is the size of a.
             small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They.
             have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the.
             fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes.
             that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with.
             white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks. During the.
             winter, in cold waters, diatoms stick to the underbelly, giving it a yellow to.
             silver- to sulfur-colored sheen; giving the blue whale its nick-name ofsulfur.
             bottoms?. Other names include Sibbald's Rorqual and Great Northern Rorqual.
             Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that.
             filter feed tiny crustaceans (krill, copepods, etc), plankton, and small fish from.
             the water. Krill, or shrimp-like euphasiids are no longer than 3 inches. It is.
             amazing that the world's largest animals feed on the smallest marine life. Blue.
             whales are gulpers, filter feeders that alternatively swim then gulp a mouthful.
             of plankton or fish.An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds.
             (900-4100kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold,.
             arctic waters (120 days)? (Hasley 1984). The blue whale has twin blowholes.
             with exceptionally large fleshy splashguards to the front and sides. It has.
             about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles in the blue.
             whale's jaws. These plates can be 35-39 inches (90cm-1m) long, 21 inches.
             (53cm) wide, and weigh 200 pounds (90kg). This is the largest of all the.
             rorquals, but not the largest of all the whales. The tongue weighs 4 tons. Blue.
             whales live individually or in very small pods (groups).