The ocean is an enthralling world of mystery unto itself and the many species that live in its depths are just as fascinating. You may have wondered what the size is of the biggest whale in the world. Well, if you just hang in there you will find out the biggest whale in the world. If you have researched the subject online, you would probably come up with several different results as there are wide distinctions in the recorded length and mass of the various species. By using both photographs and whalers records, researchers have been able to gather accurate measurements in the lengths of whales but the weight is another matter. It is difficult to measure and often ends up being based on rough estimates.
While whales are intimidating because of their enormous size, the fact of the matter is that they are some of the most highly intelligent marine animals known to man and they’re friendly too. The blue whale is a marine mammal with a length of 30 m and with a body mass of over 170 tons, it is the largest animal known to have ever existed.
The favorite food of these giants is krill, or shrimp-like euphausiids, that are up to three inches long. Blue whales must eat two to four tons of krill a day during the feeding season. Females give birth to calves every two to three years. They remain pregnant for about one year before giving birth. When born, the blue whale calf is about 23 feet (7 m) long and weighs 5,000 to 6,000 pounds (2,267 to 2,722 kg). A nursing blue whale mother produces over 50 gallons (200 liters) of milk a day. The milk contains 35 to 50% milk fat and allows the calf to gain weight at a rate of up to 10 pounds an hour or over 250 pounds (113 kg) a day! At six months of age and an average length of over 52 feet (16 m), the calf is weaned. The blue whale reaches sexual maturity at around 10 years of age.
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