What Is The Biggest Animal In The World?
Some of the largest animals on earth are the most fascinating. Hippos, rhinos, elephants, and ostriches captivate children and adults alike. It’s almost impressive to see a 9-foot bird or a 4-legged mammal that weighs over a ton. The largest animal on earth can only be found in nature. This mammal is too big to fit in a zoo or aquarium. Here’s what to know about this creature and how to get a chance to see it.
What Is The Biggest Animal?
The largest animal on earth isn’t one you’ll find on land. You’ll have to look in the sea to find the blue whale. Even though this animal is known for its huge size, it still swims gracefully through the water. Blue whales are migratory, living in the colder arctic waters for feeding but enjoying warmer waters after giving birth to take care of their young.
How Big Are Blue Whales?
The biggest animal in the world can grow up to 110 feet long. This whale is as long as a 100-story building is tall. It’s been said that a blue whale could hold 100 people in its mouth. However, blue whales are not predatory animals, so humans and other animals do not have to worry about being eaten by one. Blue whales are rarely seen close to shore. You’ll have to get out in the ocean to view one of these mammoths.
How Much Do Blue Whales Weigh?
Blue whales weigh up to 330,000 pounds, which is about the equivalent of about 150 small sedans, like the Mitsubishi Mirage or a Chevrolet Spark. A baby calf blue whale can weigh as much as an adult African elephant. Female blue whales are pregnant for almost a full year. Once they give birth, the calf stays with the mom for about nine months before being weaned.
What Do Blue Whales Eat?
It takes a lot of food to satiate the blue whale. In a strange irony, the largest animal in the world eats one of the smallest creatures, krill. Krill are zooplankton but are often compared to tiny shrimp, growing only about 2 inches long. Blue whales can eat up to 40 million of these small organisms daily. The krill are filtered through a blue whale’s baleen, like hair in their mouth, so that the krill can be swallowed and the water can return to the sea.
Is A Megalodon Bigger Than A Blue Whale?
The megalodon is an extinct shark considered the largest fish ever lived. Because it’s estimated that the megalodon lived over 23 million years ago, the only data we have is fossils of these creatures. Scientists believe the average megalodon was about 35 feet long, with some specimens coming in at 50 feet or more. Megalodon teeth are about three times the size of shark teeth found today. These fish are big but still much smaller than blue whales.
Which is Bigger? Whale or Elephant
The African elephant is one of the largest animals on land but is still much smaller than the blue whale. Adult males can weigh up to 13,000 pounds with a height of about 13 feet. While elephants consume up to 300 pounds daily, they can’t match the blue whale’s diet of almost 16,000 pounds of krill daily.
The best times to see blue whales in the wild in San Diego are from May to September, but you can see all types of whale species off the California coast all year. On your next vacation, plan a whale-watching tour with Next Level Sailing to learn more about whales and to see them in their natural habitat.