Balaenoptera musculus

Blue Whale

25-30 metros
80-90 anos
Em perigo
Sobre

Blue Whale

The blue whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth — larger than any dinosaur. These magnificent creatures visit the Sea of Cortez between January and March to feed on dense krill aggregations. Loreto and La Paz are prime locations for encounters. Despite their immense size, blue whales are gentle filter feeders, and witnessing one surface alongside your boat — its blow reaching 9 metres high — is a truly humbling experience.

Tamanho

25-30 metros (até 33m recorded)

Peso

100,000-150,000 kg (até 190 tonnes)

Expectativa de vida

80-90 anos

Estado

Em perigo

Onde encontrá-los

Melhores locais de mergulho

Loreto, Sea Of Cortez, MéxicoLa Paz, MéxicoSri Lanka (mirissa, Trincomalee)Azores, PortugalIslândiaMonterey Bay, CaliforniaChile

Dicas de mergulho

Blue whale encounters are almost always from the surface — snorkelling or boat-based. In-water encounters are extraordinarily rare and should only be attempted with experienced guides. Keep a respectful distance (at least 100 metres by boat). Never swim directly toward a blue whale. The experience of hearing their vocalizations underwater is otherworldly.

Melhor época

January to March in the Sea of Cortez

Habitat

All major oceans, migratory. In Mexico: Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California)

Alimentação

Almost exclusively krill — up to 4 tonnes per day during feeding season
Você sabia?

Curiosidades

1

A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car and beats only 2 times per minute when diving

2

Their tongue alone weighs as much as an elephant (approximately 2,700 kg)

3

Blue whale calves gain about 90 kg per day during their first year of life

4

Their calls at 188 decibels are the loudest sound produced by any animal and can be heard hundreds of kilometres away

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