Chan 1

Tiffany Chan

10 December 2020

Nature’s Largest Species: The Blue Whale

1. Introduction

Blue whales are mammals that are found in many oceans. According to the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, they are believed to be the largest animal

species to exist in Earth’s history. They can weigh up to 330,000 pounds and have lengths of 110

feet at maximum. A member of the family Balaenopteridae, the blue whale’s scientific name is

Balaenoptera musculus (Fisheries, NOAA). There are currently five subspecies of blue whales:

Northern, Antarctica, Northern Indian Ocean, Pygmy, and Chilean. These subspecies are mainly

distinctive based on the locations which they inhabit (International Whaling Commission). As a

predator in the ocean ecosystem, the blue whale is an important species, so it is crucial to employ

conservation practices to ensure that they will not become extinct. Blue whales are currently

considered endangered, but there have been and continues to be many conservation efforts

(Encyclopedia Britannica).

Figure 1. Photo © Corbis, NPR

 Chan 2

2. Distribution

Figure 2. Image © 2007 Branch et. al, Wiley Online Library

Due to limited amounts of information, study into the past distribution of blue whales is

not comprehensive. From research completed in 2007, there does not appear to be a significant

difference in blue whale locations from before and after 1973 (Branch et. al). The caption from

figure 2 shows how this data was obtained. As of 2018, there are an estimated 5,000 to 15,000

mature blue whales worldwide (Cooke). They can currently be found in all oceans except for the

Arctic ocean, with their range shown as the blue regions in figure 3 (Fisheries, NOAA).

Figure 3. Image © NOAA

The only natural predators of blue whales are killer whales, but their attacks on blue

whales are infrequent (International Whaling Commission). As a result, predators are not one of

the major biotic controls on the blue whale distributions. Instead, the main biotic influence on
 Chan 3

their range is likely the distribution of krill, as krill comprises most of the blue whales’ diet

(Fisheries, NOAA). A likely abiotic control on blue whale distribution is temperature. As shown

in figure 3, the whales are not present in the high northern latitudes, which could be due to the

frigid water temperatures in those locations. Aside from this, from current research, there does

not seem to be many abiotic controls. Regardless, the whales can migrate to different areas

throughout the year, depending on suitability for feeding and breeding (Fisheries, NOAA).

3. Life History

Scientists currently have not determined the blue whales’ exact life history (Fisheries,

NOAA). However, some estimates have been established and are generally agreed upon.

According to SeaWorld, the duration of gestation is typically around 12 months, after which the

whale gives birth to a calve. The calves are then nursed for approximately eight months before

they are weaned. Whales typically reach sexual maturity at around ages six to ten (SeaWorld).

Mating and births usually occur during the winter months, so that weaning can occur during the

summer, as mentioned by NOAA. There is usually a two to three year period between each birth

from an individual whale. On average, it is estimated that blue whales can live for 80 to 90 years

in the wild (Fisheries, NOAA).

4. Evolutionary History

According to scientific evidence from Berkeley, blue whales shared a common

land-dwelling ancestor with hippos about 55 million years ago. Then, approximately 50 million

years ago, the first whales evolved from carnivorous land animals (“The Evolution of Whales”).

Through adaptive radiation, they have evolved to only survive in water and gained many

adaptations to make them more suitable for life in the ocean. Some of these evolutionary
 Chan 4

adaptations include having streamlined bodies, tails that are efficient for moving through the

water, hearing that is no longer through exterior ears, and nostrils that have become blowholes

(“Blue Whales ~ MarineBio Conservation Society”). Additionally, baleen whales – a group of

whales which includes the blue whale – evolved around 34 million years ago to have long

strands in their mouths that function as filters for feeding (Pavid). In sum, these adaptations have

differentiated the blue whales from their ancestors on land in the past millions of years and have

made them a unique species.

5. Blue Whales & Humans

Although at first glance it may seem as though blue whales do not greatly impact

humans, their presence indirectly affects humans in many ways. Whales help to increase the

primary productivity of the ocean, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. The iron and

carbon that they release are used by many species. This indirectly allows fisheries to be

sustained, since it leads to more aquatic species that can be caught and used by people. In

addition, when whale carcasses sink to the ocean floor, it provides food for many species and

also sequesters a large amount of carbon in it, preventing the carbon from escaping into the

atmosphere and leading to more warming. The presence of whales in many oceans also benefits

nearby economies by attracting tourists (“A Whale of an Effect on Ocean Life”). Despite the

many benefits that blue whales provide humans with, most human impacts on blue whales are

negative. These human-caused threats will be addressed in the following section.

6. Current Status & Threats

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the blue whale is

currently categorized as an endangered species. As shown in figure 4, this measure was last
 Chan 5

determined in early 2018 (Cooke). This status resulted from prevalent whaling, particularly in

the early 20th century, which caused a major decline in whale populations (International Whaling

Commission). An international ban on whaling was issued in the 1960s as a response to the

significant decrease in whale numbers and as a result, populations have increased to some extent

since then (Encyclopedia Britannica). This was, therefore, a significant threat to blue whale

populations in the past, but has since become less of an issue.

Figure 4. Image © 2018 Cooke, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Currently, one threat to blue whale species is ship strikes, which can injure or potentially

even kill the whales. This is especially prevalent in coastal locations, where there are higher

likelihoods of the whales coming into contact with vessels (Fisheries, NOAA). However,

according to research and calculations completed in 2014, there is evidence that this is not one of

the main factors limiting the whale population (Monnahan et. al). Additionally, deep-sea fishing

can be problematic because blue whales can become entangled in nets and other fishing

equipment (Fisheries, NOAA). A 2013 study further shows that “mid-frequency sound[s] can

significantly affect blue whale behavior”, causing the whales to either cease feeding or move

away from the noise (Goldbogen et. al). These anthropogenic noises will therefore limit the

whales’ geographic range. Finally, climate change is predicted to have an impact on blue whale

populations in the future. The blue whales will need to change their range/habitat and their food

supply will likely be reduced as global temperatures increase (Cooke).

 Chan 6

7. Conservation & Conclusions

As aforementioned, the International Whaling Commission’s ban on the commercial

killing of whales was issued in the 1960s. The ban has largely been successful in the 50+ years

since then, particularly in more recent decades, where there did not appear to be any cases of an

intentional catch of whales (Encyclopedia Britannica). In fact, some blue whale populations have

experienced an increase of approximately 7% each year (International Whaling Commission). In

the United States, NOAA is working to decrease adverse impacts that are caused by human

activities, such as noise pollution, ship strikes, etc… (Fisheries, NOAA). It appears that this

agency has been successful in preventing whales from facing unnecessary death.

As many of the current whale populations have since recovered from the impact of

whaling, current efforts are mainly focused on ensuring that populations will continue to increase

and to minimize human disturbances. NOAA has provided several recommendations of actions

that individuals can take to support the conservation efforts. For instance, people should remain

at least 100 yards away from whales. Further, those who pilot a vessel should decrease their

speeds and be on a constant lookout for whales in nearby waters (Fisheries, NOAA). Since

climate change will likely pose a threat to the blue whale species in the future, decreasing the

degree of warming and mitigating the impacts of climate change will also be important.

Together, these methods can ensure that the blue whale species will continue to grow and

maintain their ecosystem role for the foreseeable future.

 Chan 7

Works Cited

“A Whale of an Effect on Ocean Life: The Ecological and Economic Value of Cetaceans.”

Animal Welfare Institute, 2017,

awionline.org/awi-quarterly/fall-2017/whale-effect-ocean-life-ecological-and-economic-v

alue-cetaceans.

Blue Whale, International Whaling Commission, iwc.int/blue-whale.

“Blue Whale.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/animal/blue-whale.

“Blue Whale.” SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment,

seaworld.org/animals/facts/mammals/blue-whale/.

“Blue Whales Croon A New Tune.” NPR, NPR, 5 Feb. 2010,

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123420217.

“Blue Whales ~ MarineBio Conservation Society.” MarineBio Conservation Society, 25 May

2020, marinebio.org/species/blue-whales/balaenoptera-musculus/.

Branch, T. A., et al. “Past and Present Distribution, Densities and Movements of Blue Whales

Balaenoptera Musculus in the Southern Hemisphere and Northern Indian Ocean.” Wiley

Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 21 May 2007,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2907.2007.00106.x.

Cooke, Justin. “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” IUCN Red List of Threatened

Species, 16 Mar. 2018, www.iucnredlist.org/species/2477/156923585.

Fisheries, NOAA. “Blue Whale.” NOAA, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale.

 Chan 8

Goldbogen, Jeremy A., et al. “Blue Whales Respond to Simulated Mid-Frequency Military

Sonar.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 22 Aug. 2013,

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2013.0657.

Monnahan, Cole C., et al. “Do Ship Strikes Threaten the Recovery of Endangered Eastern North

Pacific Blue Whales?” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 5 Sept. 2014,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mms.12157.

Pavid, Katie. “When Whales Walked on Four Legs.” Natural History Museum,

www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/when-whales-walked-on-four-legs.html.

“The Evolution of Whales.” Understanding Evolution,

evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evograms_03.