The blue whale, the largest living animal on Earth, has always attracted people's attention. However, there are many trivia facts about blue whales that are little known. Today, we're here to unravel the mystery of the blue whale and explore interesting facts that you may not know.
Let's take a look at the food of blue whales. As you may already know, blue whales feed mainly on small crustaceans – krill. What you may not know, however, is that blue whales need a staggering amount of food each day, equivalent to a few percent of their own body weight. Most of them are krill and copepods. What's even more surprising is that the blue whale has a very large mouth and esophagus, capable of swallowing large amounts of seawater and food at once. In the throat area, there is a structure called "mesh tendons" that help the blue whale filter out the food and expel the seawater from the body.
In addition to food, the blue whale has a very specific physiological trait, and that is its respiratory holes. The blue whale's breathing hole is located at the top of its head, which allows it to maintain a high speed when it comes to the surface to breathe. Blue whales also have a unique way of breathing, requiring their entire head and part of their body to be exposed to the surface in order to get enough air. When exhaling, it will spray a high column of water, which is also what we often call the "blue whale squirting water" phenomenon.
In addition to their physiology, the way blue whales reproduce is also very unique. Females usually start breeding between the ages of 8-10, while males wait until they are 13-15 years old. Females breed every two years and have a gestation period of about 11 months. And during the breeding season, males attract females with their songs. These songs are able to penetrate the surface of the sea and travel great distances. Scientists have recorded that the song of a blue whale can last for more than 90 minutes, and the strongest sound can even penetrate the water at a depth of 700 meters.
In addition, the blue whale has a very interesting behavior, which is to jump and hit the waves. When blue whales surface to breathe, they sometimes slap the surface with their tails or flippers, creating a beautiful splash. This behavior may be a way for the blue whale to release stress in its body or to communicate with other blue whales.
However, despite the fact that blue whales are such large and unique creatures, they also face many existential threats. Factors such as overhunting, marine pollution, and climate change all pose threats to the survival of blue whales. Therefore, we need to pay more attention to and protect these precious marine creatures, so that future generations can also appreciate the graceful posture and mysterious vitality of the blue whale.
As a mysterious marine creature, the blue whale not only has a unique charm in terms of physiological characteristics and behavior, but also gives us profound enlightenment in terms of ecological environment and protection. Let us call on more people to pay attention to the protection of marine ecology and cherish the beauty and mystery given to us by the natural environment. At the same time, it stimulates the infinite curiosity and desire of human beings to explore the marine world, and continues to uncover more mysteries about marine life.