Perhaps the largest living mammal on the planet earth, blue whale is distributed in virtually all the oceanic waters. With the length equals to the two city buses, blue whale measuring 30 metres (98 feet) by length along with a weight of about 180 metric tons (200 short tons).
Where Do Blue Whales Live?
Have you ever wondered where do blue whales live? Blue whales inhabits in almost every water with preferably living in the coastal shelf and oceanic waters. The movement of these mammals largely depends on the weather changes with little understanding on the cause of their migration. However, some of the evidences suggest that blue whales rather live in low altitudes in proximity to the equator.
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Due to the excessive hunting in the late 19th and at the start of the 20th century, it has been disappeared from the chief islands of the world. Back in 1883, blue whales faced sudden decline in its population in Iceland. Besides, they had also been sought after in Faroe Islands (1984), Newfoundland (1898), and Spitsbergen (1903). In the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic waters, these whales have been pursued at a rapid rate which consequently resulted in begging off its population. During 1930’s to 1940s, the total number of individuals that were hunted by humans exceeds 29,000 in the Antarctic alone. The species that were abundant had been excessively hunted as compared to the rare species. Back in 1966, International Whaling Commission imposed a ban on blue whale hunting in USSR. More than 330,000 individuals were killed in USSR back in 1970’s. These species have also been introduced in few Islands due to which the exact blue population remains a matter of qualm.
The total population of blue whale counts to 5,000 to 12,000 individuals in 2002. Recently, one of the largest concentrations of whales has been discovered in Sri Lanka. These mammals are known to reside in Alaska, California extending to Costa Rica. Other places include Nova Scotia, Indian Ocean, Southern Hemisphere, Chile, Peru, Chiloe Island, Chilean Navy, Greenland, and Jan Mayen.
Learn more: Blue Whale Facts For Kids
