The blue whale is quite an amazing creature. It is a mammal that lives its entire life in the ocean. The size of its body is also amazing. This whale can grow up to 98 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons. It is the largest known animal to have ever existed. Its body is long and elegantly tapered, unlike other whales which have a rounder, stockier build. The way that they are built, along with their extreme size, gives them a unique look. It also gives them the ability to move gracefully at greater speeds. Normally they travel around 12 mph, but they slow to 3.1 mph when feeding. They can even reach speeds up to 31 mph for short periods of time! Although they are extremely large animals, they eat small shrimp-like creatures called krill. Since the krill are so small, the blue whale eats about four tons daily as they swim deep in the ocean.

Blue whales do not live in tight-knit groups called pods like other whales. They live and travel alone or with one other whale. While traveling through the ocean, they come to the top to breathe air into their lungs through blowholes. They come from under the ocean, spitting water out of their blowholes. Then they roll and reenter the water with a grand splash of their large tails. They make loud, deep, and rumbling low-frequency sounds that travel great distances. This allows them to communicate with other whales as far as 100 miles away. Their cries can be felt as much as heard. This resonating call makes them the loudest animal on Earth. If you ever have the opportunity to see or hear a blue whale, it will be an experience you will not soon forget.

How do blue whales breathe?