Whales are known to be peaceful animals, but that doesn’t mean they are docile. Since they have such an amazing sense of hearing, whales can detect sounds at great distances which makes them dangerous when provoked. Whales have been known to become aggressive if the wrong thing is done to them or if their family and tribe are threatened. But this doesn’t mean that all whales are aggressive; in fact, there are several whale species that are listed as the largest mammals in the world. Here is a top 5 list of the largest whales in the world:
Blue Whale
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. It can weigh as much as 99 tons and can grow up to 33.6 meters long. The blue whale is a filter-feeding animal that feeds on microscopic organisms that live in the ocean. The blue whale is found in all the oceans of the world, but is not yet endangered. This whale lives in pods that are made up of related females and their young. Blue whales are blue-grey in colour and have a distinctive, bluish hump on their back. The blue whale is so large that it was once thought that they were a different species, and in fact the only category of whale that can be seen in the entire world is the blue whale. Blue whales are widely distributed throughout the oceans, although they prefer warm waters. Blue whales are usually solitary creatures, although they have been observed gathering together into large pods. Blue whales are very curious and are known to investigate boats and even swim up to fishing vessels. Blue whales have also been known to breach, which is when they jump out of the water, spreading their enormous flippers as they do so.
Balaena whale
The baleen whale is a species of toothed cetacean that belongs to the suborder Odontocetae, consisting of dolphins and whales. Baleen whales have a huge filter-like structure on the roof of their mouth that forms a sieve to filter small prey out of the water. Their diet consists of crustaceans, plankton, and sometimes fish. The baleen whale is the second largest whale in the world, after the blue whale. The baleen whale is found in all the oceans of the world, but is not yet endangered. The largest baleen whale is the Bryde’s whale, which can weigh up to 340 tons and measure up to 22 feet in length.
Fin Whale
The fin whale is the largest living whale in the world. The fin whale can grow up to 33.8 meters long and weigh up to 245 tons. The fin whale is a baleen whale, which means it has whale-like teeth that attach to the front of its mouth. The fin whale is found in all the oceans of the world and is not endangered. This species is yellowish-brown in colour, has a distinctive fin on its back, and is not very social. Most fin whales are solitary creatures that do not interact with one another. The fin whales are a filter-feeding species, like blue whales, and feed on small plankton and krill. Fin whales are so large that there have been reports of ships being struck by these whales. There have been cases where these whales have injured their tails, and have been known to beach themselves on islands to receive medical attention.
Be Whale
The be whale also comes under the top 5 largest whales in the world. It can grow up to 35.8 meters long and weigh up to 227 tons. The be whale is a baleen whale, which means it has whale-like teeth that attach to the front of its mouth. The be whale is found in all the oceans of the world and is not endangered. This species is also yellowish-brown in colour and has a distinctive fin on its back. The be whale is very social and lives in pods. The be whale is a filter-feeding species much like the fin whale. This species feeds on plankton, krill, and small fish. The be whale is a migratory species that migrates from the Arctic to the Antarctic waters. This species of whale swims in the deep ocean waters and is not easily seen by humans.
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is the second-largest species of baleen whale in the world, and the biggest whale in the world. This category whales can grow up to 35.9 meters long and weigh up to 18 tons. The humpback whale is a baleen whale, which means it has whale-like teeth that attach to the front of its mouth. The humpback whale is found in all the oceans of the world, although it is usually seen in the warmer waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. This category whales are very social and migratory. The humpback whale migrates from the cooler waters of the Arctic to the warmer waters of the Pacific and then back again. The humpback whale is a very curious animal and has been observed breaching and leaping out of the water. The humpback whale is a filter-feeding species much like the blue whale. The humpback whale feeds on krill and small fish.
Bottom Line
Whales are beautiful and peaceful animals. Unfortunately, they are sometimes endangered by human activities. Whales are found in all the oceans of the world and are not endangered. There are several species of whales that are the largest in the world. This top 5 list will teach you about the largest whales in the world.
