Facts About the Blue Whale
INTRODUCTION
The Blue Whale is an enormous species of whale found in subtropical and polar waters worldwide. It is not only the largest animal species in the world but is also thought that it could be the biggest creature that has ever existed!
There are three recognized sub-species of the Blue Whale. These are the Northern Blue Whale, the Southern Blue Whale and the Pygmy Blue Whale, that despite its name, still reaches an average length of about 80 feet long.
Although their enormous size and slow-maturing nature means that the Blue Whale population has never been a large one, they have drastically declined in numbers because people have hunted them, particularly over the past 100 years. They are now legally protected and even though they have not been deliberately caught since the 1970s, their numbers continue to fall in much of their natural range.