Diet

Filter feeders

Animals that strain tiny food from water.

4 animals6 articles

Animals: Filter feeders

Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus 3 articles

Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae 1 article

Whale shark Rhincodon typus 1 article

Whales 8 articles

Life cycle & reproduction

A dead whale sinks, floats or washes ashore. On the deep seafloor it becomes a whale fall that feeds hagfish,…

Whales7 min read

Predators & threats

Only killer whales are known to hunt blue whales; the first confirmed kills were off Australia in 2019 and 2021.…

Predators & threats

Killer whales are the only regular predators of humpback whales, and they go after calves. Sharks almost never kill a…

Size & weight

Whale sharks, the gentle giants of the ocean, have fascinated marine enthusiasts and scientists alike for years. Their sheer size…

Anatomy & appearance

No one has published a reliable blue whale tongue length. Here's what scientists do know: the tongue turns inside out…

Comparisons

The biggest blue whales reach about 33 m (108 ft) and 150 tonnes. Here are sizes by region, the real…