The blue whale, scientifically known as Balaenoptera musculus, is the largest animal ever known to have existed on Earth.
It has a long, streamlined body that is typically blue-gray in color, with lighter spots or mottling on the skin.
Blue whales have a distinctive, broad, and flat head, which comprises nearly a quarter of their body length.
They have a massive heart, the size of a small car, and feed primarily on tiny shrimp-like animals called krill by filtering them through baleen plates in their mouths.
Blue whales are known for their haunting vocalizations, which can be heard over long distances and are thought to be used for communication and possibly mating.
Despite their enormous size, blue whales are graceful swimmers, capable of reaching speeds up to 30 miles per hour in short bursts.
They are found in oceans around the world, typically in colder waters where krill populations are abundant.
Unfortunately, blue whales are listed as endangered due to past commercial whaling and ongoing threats such as ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.