Blue whale

 

 THE BLUE WHALE

 

The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world. Whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on earth and are the largest animals that live in the ocean. They are even bigger than the largest dinosaur.

It weighs two tons (1,814 kilograms) at birth and gains an extra 91 kilograms each day of its first year. Blue whales are able to breathe air, but they are very comfortable in the ocean waters where water helps to support their incredible body.

 

These mammals are found in all the world's oceans and often swim in small groups or alone. These giant creatures feed on tiny shrimplike creatures. 

 

Only a few thousand blue whales are believed to swim the world's oceans. They were hunted for many years for their blubber and oil, and they were almost hunted to extinction. They were protected under the 1966 International Whaling Convention and are now considered to be an endangered species.