Blue Whale--the largest mammal on the earth

Blue whales are the largest mammals, and possibly the largest animal of any kind to have lived on Earth. A 33-metre long, 190-tonne whale has been seen, but most examples are much smaller. There are three subspecies divided between the northern and southern hemispheres. Blue whales were hunted to the brink of extinction during the 20th Century. The most recent abundance estimate for the southern hemisphere is 1,700 and there is evidence they are increasing annually by about 7%. There are no good estimates for numbers in other areas.

Key species of endangered whale