Blue Whale Conservation: Size, Diet & Indian Ocean Sighting Guide

The Largest Animal ever to Exist

Even larger than the biggest dinosaurs, the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a true titan of the deep. Reaching lengths of up to 100 feet and weights of 200 tons, their heart is the size of a bumper car, and their tongue alone can weigh as much as an entire elephant.

Survival on a Tiny Diet

It is a paradox of nature that the world’s largest animal survives almost exclusively on one of the smallest: Krill. A single adult Blue whale can consume up to 4 tons of these tiny crustaceans in a single day during peak feeding season.

Identifying a Blue Whale

• Coloration: A mottled blue-gray color that appears vibrant light blue underwater.
• The Blow: A powerful, vertical column of spray that can reach 30 feet (9 meters) high.
• Dorsal Fin: Surprisingly small and set very far back on the body.
• The Fluke: Broad and triangular, though they rarely lift their tails high when diving compared to Humpbacks.

Best Locations for Blue Whale Sightings

Blue whales are more elusive than Humpbacks, but these hotspots offer the best chances:

• Sri Lanka (Mirissa): Perhaps the most reliable spot in the world due to deep water being very close to shore.
• California (Monterey Bay): Excellent sightings from June through October.
• The Azores: A key migratory stop in the mid-Atlantic during the spring.
• Baja California (Sea of Cortez): Winter feeding grounds.

Conservation Status

Once hunted to the brink of extinction during the era of commercial whaling (over 300,000 were killed), Blue whales are now protected worldwide. While their populations are slowly recovering, they face new threats from ship strikes, ocean noise, and climate change affecting krill abundance.

Seeing a Blue whale is a bucket-list experience that puts the scale of our planet’s biodiversity into perspective.