The Balaenoptera musculus, also known as, the Blue Whale is the biggest species of animals to ever live. Not only is it the largest creature, it is also the loudest creature on earth, being louder than a jet engine, and measuring up to 100 ft long and 200 tons, this certainly is a fascinating creature. In the above illustration, depicted is the approximate size comparison of an average human and a blue whale. One would expect that a creature of this stature would eat creatures of any size and shape, but this creature actually only eats plankton and krill using its bristle like teeth, called Baleen Plates, these are used for taking in huge gulps of water and trapping the plankton in the Baleen allowing the whale to separate the water from the plankton and krill, the blue whale will eat between 4 and 8 tons of krill daily. Even though the Blue Whale is so large it can actually move relatively quickly, normally the whale moves at a speed of about 15mph and can go up to 30mph when fleeing from danger. Surprisingly the Blue whale is actually a mammal that belongs to the Taxonomic family, Balaenopteradae, or also known as Rorquals. The general features of Rorquals: Single Blowhole and dorsal fin, throat pleats, elongated flippers, and an about 12-month gestation period.

        This second illustration is an abstract illustration of all of the oceans that blue whales are found in (all but the polar seas and are rarely seen by the coast).Blue whales are the biggest creatures to have roamed this earth and with a Whale of this size, where else would it live and thrive other than the ocean. Blue whales are all over the world, but they are more common in the southern hemisphere. When whales migrate, they migrate to breed, which is just the start to both having the whale calf. The mother will have to go through gestation period of about 12 months. The baby will then stay with the mother for about 1 year then it becomes a yearling. The yearling will then reach sexual maturity at about 10 years of age. While the calf is with its mother, since the blue whale is a mammal, the mother will give milk to the baby. Since the baby cannot latch on, it has to flip upside down (mouth towards mothers’ belly) and bump the mother on the belly and she will release milk into the babies mouth manually. While some whales in the same family move in pods, the Blue whale is an exception, with the only time when in a group is a feeding ground or mating season.

This is an original animation created by me, Gavin Watkins. This animation depicts a mother and its calf, swimming across the screen. The mother then teaches the calf how to eat before it is ready to go off on its own.

     Dear world, this is me, I’m on the right, my calf is on the left. I spend most of my time now with my calf, traversing the oceans and teaching him the ways of being a Blue whale. Some of the key skills that are needed to be a whale are: how to look for the right cluster of krill to eat, where that krill is, where the mating grounds are, and when the right moment for a getaway is during trouble. My calf must know how to correctly survive in these unforgiving waters, and by teaching him these skills, I am doing my job. I must get him ready before he leaves and goes off on his own. I don’t look forward to that day, life can be quite lonely sometimes, and just having someone there helps survive in these very cold waters.

       As a human, this is what I imagine the life of a mother Blue Whale to be like, but ill never truly know what its like. The ocean has so many levels of complexity when it comes to what eats what, Who goes where, and why. Blue whales, being the biggest ever creature, is beyond fascinating. How it survives is always going to interest me, and trying to imagine its life from its perspective, will hopefully bring a closer understanding to these magestic creatures.

Bibliography:
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Holland, J. S. (2017, September 1). A Whale’s Baleen Bristles Reveal the Story of Its Life. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/history-toothless-whales-180964717/
Unknown. (2018, September 21). Blue Whale. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/blue-whale/