The big blue whale is the giant of the planet Earth. Description and photo of the blue whale. White and blue whales: dimensions. The largest whale: dimensions

The largest mammals on earth are whales. The results of the weighing of these giant inhabitants world oceans are truly impressive.

It is hard to believe that such massive animals can move in the water as quickly and gracefully as whales can do.

Interesting fact: scientists have established that whales are descended from ancient land mammals from the order of artiodactyls.

The closest living relative of the whale is the hippopotamus, they descended from a common ancestor who lived tens of millions of years ago. Then, 50 million years ago, whales moved into the ocean, and hippos preferred to stay closer to land and fresh water.

How much does the largest whale weigh?

The largest whale caught by humans, of which there is reliable evidence, was a female blue whale, caught in 1926 near the South Shetland Islands. The weight of the record holder was 176,792 kg; however, some researchers claim that in fact she was never weighed, and her weight was calculated approximately. The length of this individual exceeded 33 meters, which is also a record.


According to some reports, in 1947, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the island of South Georgia, whalers caught a blue whale weighing 190 tons. There is also information about the capture of a whale weighing 181.4 tons.

What is the weight of a blue (blue) whale?

Whales are the largest mammals on the planet, and the largest of all cetaceans is the blue whale, which is also called the blue whale, or blue whale. The dimensions of these giants can reach 33 meters, and the weight can significantly exceed 150 tons. With such an impressive size, the blue whale is a rather harmless creature: although it is a predator, it feeds exclusively on plankton.

The favorite delicacy of blue whales is krill - small crustaceans, the length of which does not exceed 6 centimeters. If the whale swallows something larger, then it does it by accident, while eating plankton masses.

Vomited females are noticeably larger than males: in the Southern Hemisphere, the average length of these animals is 24.5 meters for females and almost 24 meters for males, in the Northern Hemisphere these sizes are 1 meter less.

There is an opinion that last years whales were greatly reduced as a result of hunting for them - the attention of whalers is primarily attracted to large individuals, so they die more often and leave fewer offspring than their more modest relatives.


Some experts argue that earlier among blue whales, individuals up to 37 meters long were often found.

The maximum weight of the largest representatives of this species is a rather controversial issue, since not every whale caught can be accurately weighed, and not every weighing result is officially registered, but there are reports of whales weighing up to 190 tons.

Not all experts agree with this figure, but they all agree that 150 tons are far from the limit for vomit.

How much does a whale's heart weigh?

The heart of the blue whale is the most a big heart worldwide. Heart weight adult is 600-700 kilograms, the normal pulse for these giant hearts is 5-10 beats per minute. In the tallest whales, the heart can weigh almost a ton. The amount of blood in large specimens exceeds 8 thousand liters.

gigantic size not only the heart of the blue whale is different, but also its other internal organs. For example, the lung capacity of an adult whale is over 3,000 liters.


Thanks to such powerful lungs, these animals are distinguished by extremely loud voices and can exchange sound signals at a distance of up to 33 km.

Several tens of thousands of animal species live on our planet, but only a few of them possess. Animals live everywhere: on land, in the air, underground, and in water. We will stop at the last place of residence of living beings. Since childhood, everyone knows that whales are the largest animals living in aquatic environment. But few people realize that among them there are also incomparable giants. We present to the attention of the reader information about which most big whales in the world.

Length 10.7 meters

The top of the largest whales in the world is opened by the smallest whale from the minke whale family. An animal that feeds on plankton and small fish has fins and a belly white color, and dark gray upper body coloration. hallmark The minke whale are its white stripes at the back of its head.

It lives in the waters of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The length of the largest individual reached 10.7 meters.

The leader in the number of minke whales caught annually is the "Land of the Rising Sun" - Japan. Whaling is about 900 individuals. Norway and Iceland are in second and third places, respectively.

Length 13-17 meters

The speed of movement of the whale is no more than 8 km / h. As a result, it becomes easy prey for humans. It is currently on the verge of extinction. The number of surviving whales does not exceed 300 individuals.

Length 17-18 meters

Another animal in our ranking of the largest whales in the world, from the minke whale family. It got its name from dorsal fin in the form of a hump. The largest individuals of this species of animals reach a size of 17-18 meters. Weight does not exceed 50 tons. Whale specific shape and body coloration, very long pectoral fins(30% of the whole body), and a large tail fin. The species is distributed throughout the world's oceans, except for the Arctic. In Russia, it is found only in a small part of the Barents Sea.

Length 18 meters

Another species of the family of smooth whales. Animals measuring 18 meters and weighing up to 80 tons have a color that varies from dark brown to blue-black. A distinctive feature of southern whales are growths under the jaw and above the eyes. The head size is 1/3 of the body size. The dorsal fin is missing. The females of the southern right whale are physically larger than the males.

Animals that are one of the largest whales in the world live in the Southern Ocean (temperate and subpolar latitudes).

For a long time this species was under threat, but, at present, the number of individuals exceeds more than 7,000.

Length 19 meters

This species of whale is not much different from the smooth North Atlantic, but it is larger. Particularly large individuals reach a size of 19 m. The weight of a Japanese whale does not exceed 80 tons. Black individuals with a small dorsal fin feed on crustaceans. They swim slowly, but like to jump out of the water often. The birth rate of the Japanese whale is low. Females give birth to one cub every three to four years. At the same time, they themselves must reach the age of 6-12 years. Live in the northern part Pacific Ocean are sometimes found off the coast of Mexico. Now the Japanese whale is under the threat of extinction. There are 400 individuals of this species of one of the largest animals in the world left on the planet.

Length 20 meters

Sperm whales live in groups of several dozen individuals. This species of mammal has pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, females are smaller and differ in the shape of the body and head. The largest individuals of males reach a length of 20 meters and weigh 50 tons. Females - 15 meters, 20 tons.

The habitat of the sperm whale is distributed throughout the oceans, with the exception of the coldest areas.

Length 20 meters

An individual, reaching a length of 20 meters and a mass of 30 tons, belongs to the family of minke whales. A dark gray whale with a large dorsal fin feeds on mollusks, fish that gather in schools, and crustaceans. Seiwal has been living for over 60 years. Puberty occurs at 5-7 years of age. Develops a speed of more than 25 km / h. Habitat: the entire World Ocean in places with temperatures above 8 degrees, but below 26. In Russia, this species of one of the largest whales in the world can be found off the Kuril Islands and in the Barents Sea (rarely).

Length 18-22 meters

The hardest whale in the world lives in the polar regions of the Arctic and off the coast of Greenland. It has a size of 18-22 meters and a body weight of 75 to 150 tons, depending on the sex of the animal. The mammal accelerates to a speed of 20 km / h. It dives to a depth of over 200 meters and can stay there for up to 40 minutes.

Lives for about 40 years. Some individuals can exist for more than 100 years. The record lifespan for the bowhead whale was 211 years. The animal, located on the third line of the top of the largest whales in the world, feeds on plankton and crustaceans.

Length 27 meters

It is the second largest animal in the world and the closest relative of the blue whale. The species that lives in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres belongs to the minke family. The maximum length of an adult reaches 27 meters. The size of females is larger than the size of males, but their weight is approximately the same - 40-70 tons.

An animal with a dark gray back and a white belly, prefers to live alone. But, sometimes it strays into flocks of up to 5-6 individuals. It is considered the fastest whale in the world. Its speed reaches 50 km/h. Immersed in maximum depth- 230 meters.

Length 33 meters

Blue whales live alone. Sometimes they stray into small groups, but even in them they swim separately from each other. They live throughout the oceans. On average, blue whales live for about 80 years. The oldest officially recorded age of an animal was 110 years. Currently, the blue whale is on the verge of extinction. And in the 60s of the last century it was practically exterminated. Scientists are doing everything possible to increase the population. Now the number of mammals is 10,000 individuals.

Whale - a marine animal of the chordate type, class mammals, order cetaceans (lat. Cetacea). Own modern name, consonant in many languages, the whale received from Greek word kitoc, literally meaning " sea ​​monster”.

Anatomically, the whale has teeth, but in some species they are in an undeveloped state. In toothless baleen whales, teeth are replaced by bony plates called baleen and adapted for filtering food. And only representatives of toothed whales grow identical cone-shaped teeth.

The spine of a whale can contain from 41 to 98 vertebrae, and due to the spongy structure of the skeleton, elastic intervertebral discs give the body of animals special maneuverability and plasticity.

The cervical interception is absent, and the head smoothly passes into the body, which tapers noticeably towards the tail. The pectoral fins of the whale are modified and turned into flippers that perform the function of steering, turning and braking. The caudal region of the body is flexible and muscular, has a slightly flattened shape and acts as a motor. At the end of the tail there are blades that have a horizontal arrangement. Most species of whales have an unpaired dorsal fin that acts as a stabilizer when moving in the water column.

The skin of the whale is smooth, hairless, only on the muzzle of baleen whales grow single hairs, bristles, similar to the whiskers of land animals. The color of the whale is monophonic, spotted or anti-shadow, when the top of the animal is dark and the bottom is light. In some species, body color changes with age.

Due to the absence of olfactory nerves, whales have almost completely lost their sense of smell. taste buds poorly developed, therefore, unlike other mammals, whales distinguish only salty taste. The sight of whales is poor, for the most part these animals are short-sighted, but they have conjunctival glands that are absent in other animals.

In terms of whale hearing, the complex anatomy of the inner ear allows whales to distinguish between sounds ranging from 150 Hz to the lowest ultrasonic frequencies. And due to the richly innervated skin of all whales, they have an excellent sense of touch.

Whales communicate with each other. The absence of vocal cords does not prevent whales from talking and making special sounds with the help of an echolocation apparatus. The concave bones of the skull, together with the fat layer, act as a sound lens and reflector, directing a beam of ultrasonic signals in the right direction.

Most whales are quite slow, but if necessary, the speed of the whale can be 20 - 40 km / h.

The life expectancy of small whales is about 30 years, large whales live up to 50 years.

Where do whales live?

Whales live in all oceans. Most species of whales are herd animals and prefer to live in groups of several tens and even thousands of individuals. Some species are subject to constant seasonal migrations: in winter, whales swim to warm waters, where childbirth takes place, and in summer they fatten in temperate and high latitudes.

What does a whale eat?

Most whales eat a certain kind stern:

• planktophages eat only plankton;
• teutophages prefer to eat cephalopods;
• ichthyophages eat only live fish;
• saprophages (detritivores) consume decomposed organic matter.

And only one animal from the order of cetaceans, the killer whale, feeds not only on fish, but also on pinnipeds (seals, sea ​​lions, ), as well as other whales, dolphins and their cubs.

A killer whale swims after a penguin

Types of whales with photos and names.

The modern classification divides the order of cetaceans into 2 main suborders:

• toothless or mustachioed whales (lat. Mysticeti);
• toothy whales (lat. Odontoceti), which include dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales and porpoises.

The order of cetaceans forms 38 genera, which combine more than 80 known species. Among this diversity, several varieties can be distinguished:

• , he is hunchback or long-armed minke whale(lat. Megaptera novaeangliae) got its name from the convex fin on the back, resembling a hump. The body length of the whale reaches 14.5 meters, in some specimens - 18 meters. Average weight humpback whale is 30 tons. The humpback whale differs from other representatives of the family of minke whales by a shortened body, a variety of colors and several rows of warty leathery protrusions on the top of the head. Humpback whales live throughout the world's oceans, except for the Arctic and Antarctic. Representatives of the North Atlantic population feed exclusively on fish: navaga, pollock, herring, haddock. The rest of the whales eat small crustaceans, various shellfish and small schooling fish.

• gray whale(california whale) (lat. Eschrichtius robustus, Eschrichtius gibbosus)- the only species of whales that practices eating food from the bottom of the ocean: the animal plows the silt with a special keel-shaped outgrowth located under the lower jaw. The basis of the food of the gray whale is made up of many organisms that live on the bottom: annelids, snails, bivalves and other mollusks, crayfish, egg-pods and sea ​​sponges and small fish species. Gray whales in adulthood have a body length of up to 12-15 m, the average weight of a whale varies from 15 to 35 tons, and females are larger than males. The body is brown-gray or dark brown, reminiscent of the color rocky shores. This species of whale lives in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Chukchi and Bering Seas, in winter it migrates to the Gulf of California and to the southern coast of Japan. Gray whales are record holders among animals for the duration of migrations - the distance covered by animals can reach 12 thousand km.

• bowhead whale (polar whale) (lat. Balaena mysticetus) - long-liver among mammals. Average age polar whale is 40 years old, but the known scientifically substantiated fact of longevity is 211 years. This is a unique species of baleen whale that spends its entire life in the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere, often making its way like an icebreaker. The fountain of the whale rises up to 6 m in height. The body length of mature females reaches 20-22 meters, males - 18 meters. The weight of a whale is from 75 to 150 tons. The skin color of the animal is usually gray or dark blue. The belly and neck are lighter in color. An adult bowhead whale consumes almost 2 tons of different food every day, consisting of plankton (crustaceans and pteropods).

• Sperm whale (lat. Physeter macrocephalus)- the largest representative of toothed whales, and females are much smaller than males and have a body length of no more than 15 meters. The male whale grows up to 20 meters in length. The maximum weight of females reaches 20 tons, males - 50 tons. Sperm whales have such a characteristic appearance that they cannot be confused with other cetaceans. The giant head is over 35% of the length of the body, and when viewed from the side, the snout of the sperm whale looks like a slightly beveled rectangle. In the recess at the bottom of the head there is a mouth, seated with 20-26 pairs of cone-shaped teeth. The weight of 1 whale tooth reaches 1 kilogram. The wrinkled skin of the sperm whale often has a dark gray color with a blue tint, although there are dark brown and even black individuals. Being a predator, the sperm whale preys on squid, cuttlefish, big fish(including some species), and also swallows everything in a row that ends up in the ocean: empty bottles, rubber boots, toys, coils of wire. Sperm whales live throughout the oceans, but in tropical waters are more common than in cold climates. Most of the population is distributed off the coast of the Black Continent and the eastern coast of Asia.

• (lat. Balaenoptera physalus)- the second largest animal on the planet. The length of an adult whale is 24-27 m, but due to its slender physique, the whale weighs only 40-70 tons. A distinctive feature of fin whales is the asymmetrical coloration of the muzzle: the right side mandible white, and the left one is dark. The basis of the whale's diet is small crustaceans. Fin whales live in all oceans: in winter they inhabit the waters of moderately warm zones, and in the warm season they swim to the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.

• Blue whale (blue whale, vomited)(lat. Balaenoptera musculus)- not only the most big whale in the world, but also the largest animal on our planet. The length of the blue whale can reach 33 meters, and the weight of the blue whale reaches 150 tons. This animal has a relatively slender build and a narrow muzzle. The color of the body within the species is monotonous: most individuals are gray with a blue tint and gray spots scattered throughout the body, making the skin of the animal look like marble. The blue whale feeds on more plankton and inhabits the entire oceans.

• Pygmy whale (pygmy right whale, short-headed right whale)(lat. Caperea marginata)- the smallest species of the suborder of baleen whales. The body of an adult individual does not exceed 4-6 m in length, and the body weight of the whale barely reaches 3-3.5 tons. Skin color - gray with dark spots, sometimes black. It differs in an undulating way of movement unusual for whales, feeds on plankton. The pygmy whale is one of the rarest and least numerous species of whales, it lives mainly in the waters of southern Australia and New Zealand.

The weight of the whale and its size is amazing. Find out how much the whale weighs the world's largest and smallest.

Everyone has long known that the largest animal in the world is the blue whale, or it is also called the blue whale.

(Photo of blue whale #1)

A huge mammal can hold up to 2 tons of food at one meal, and a blue whale can be up to 34 meters long. A how many tons does the blue whale weigh, this size? Of the baleen whales, the blue whale is the largest, and it weighs about 150 tons as an adult, the same weight as 2,400 people. Now imagine how much his insides weigh! The tongue of this giant weighs 3 tons, and its heart is so large that even a child can crawl through it and the heart of a blue whale weighs 700 kg. See. photo #1. Over a huge body blue whale This heart pumps about 10 tons of blood.

(Photo of blue whale #2)

(Photo of blue whale #3)

How much does the Gangetic dolphin weigh? – 90 kg

How much does it weigh Guinea pig? – 120 kg

How much does a beaked whale weigh? - 1-1.5 tons

How much does the Maui Dolphin weigh? - 40 kg

How much does Beluga whale weigh? - 2 tons

How much does the Amazon Dolphin weigh? – 10-205 kg

How much does Narwhal weigh? - 1.5 tons

Weight of whales with whiskers.

How much does the northern right whale weigh? – 40-70 tons

How much does a bowhead whale weigh? - 75-100 tons

How much does Striped Bride weigh? - 16-25 tons

How much does Kit Seville weigh? - 30 tons

How much does the southern right whale weigh? – 80 tons

How much does a gray whale weigh? - 15-35 tons

How much does a minke whale weigh? – 5 tons

How much does Fin whale weigh? - 40-70 tons

How much does a humpback whale weigh? - 48 tons

Watching noble animals - whales, we admire their size, weight and grace of movement in the water, involuntarily asking ourselves the question, how could a faceless, unreasonable nature come up with and create such a miracle? Whales are the masterpiece of Someone, highly intelligent and omnipotent, who sculpted these beautiful sea creatures.

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