Blue Whales Endangered

Why are Blue Whales Endangered?
There was a time, when the blue whale was a major animal in every large water body of the world. But the arrival of the whale hunting era diminished the whale count by such a massive number, that blue whales are still endangered today. The reasons for whaling were multifold. Their large size mistakenly led mariners to believe that such a huge animal could be adeadly threat in the sea. Also, whale blubber and meat were desired products from this oceanic mammal. But early whaling was restricted by primitive tools and whaling techniques. So the damage to whale populations was controllable.
With the advent of powerful harpoon guns, steam-powered boats and the stern slipway in whaling ships, whaling advanced, with more whales being hunted at a rapid rate. In1931 alone, 29,649 whales were killed. Blue whales also have a slow rate of reproduction. A female blue whale gives birth to one calf, every two years. This means the rate of depletion of the whale's population cannot be countered by a surge in births. By 1966, the International Whaling Commission declared blue whales as protected animals and banned blue whale hunting in international waters. Butthe number of blue whales remains low due to man's deep-sea activities. Heavy sea traffic causes accidents, where blue whales are injured by ships or cargo vessels. Deep-sea fishing involves using large nets and trawling equipment, in which blue whales can get entangled and drown.
The International Whaling Commission, has taken steps to protect these wonderful creatures. Committees of expertshave been formed to work against whaling, entrapment and predation of blue whales. But their population remains low. Recent blue whale statistics indicate between 12,000-15,000 of these ocean-dwellers remain.

Whale (Blue)
Blue Whale: Balaenoptera musculus

Order: Cetacea

Family: Balaenopteridae

Distribution: Scattered areas in all major oceans but mainly in Arctic and Antarctic waters.Size: Length: 31m (104ft) Weight: 125+tonnes

Life Span: 80 years

Gestation period: 11 months

Food: Small crustaceans

The blue whale is not only the largest living animal but probably the largest creature the world has ever known. The greatest recorded length for a blue whale is 33.58m (110ft, 2.5ins), but it is doubtful if any of these huge specimens still survive today.

Back in1947 a female blue whale was dismembered and weighed aboard a factory ship ‘Hashidate Muru’ of the Japanese Whaling Fleet and the statistics recorded. The whale measured 27.12m (89ft) and weighted 136,353kg (134.2 tonnes) when in one piece. This in itself is quite an awe-inspiring size, but some of the other statistics become almost breathtaking. These are just a few of the items recorded that day.Blood 8,128 kg (8 tonnes)
Skeleton 18,288 kg (18tonnes)
Heart 457 kg (1,300lbs)
Lungs 1,270 kg (1 tonne)
Tongue 3,048 kg (3 tonnes)
Blubber 19,812 kg (19 tonnes)
Skull 4,572 kg (4 tonnes)
Meat 60,962 kg (60 tonnes)
Jawbone 1,524 kg (1.5 tonnes)
Body Girth 13.35m (43’ 6”)
Jawbone length 6.96m (22’ 10”)

Feeding: Although blue whales should be capable of roaming the oceans freely,they are tied to certain areas. This is because there are only a few places in the world, mainly the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, where there is enough plankton to sustain them. Icy water has more oxygen and carbon dioxide than warm water which makes it rich in marine life. There is up to twenty times more plankton in the Arctic and Antarctic than in the clear blue, warmer waters of the tropics.When the polar oceans freeze up during the winter, the whales migrate to the tropics where they live mainly off their thick layer of blubber.

Prey is mainly caught by diving, up to depths of 500m. The whale can stay submerged for up to two hours, then it rushes up at the clouds of plankton with open mouth. The blue whale does not have teeth; instead it has a row of plates in its mouth, known as...