Blue Whale
By Mark Steer
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| The world's largest animal heads for Florida. |
Blue whales are something of an enigma. For being the largest animal on Earth, we don't really know that much about them . For example, we don't even know where they breed.
We do know that, like all baleen whales, they feed exclusively on small shrimp-like creatures called krill which they scoop up as they cruise the world's oceans at a leisurely pace. When roused, however, they can reach a cracking top speed of 30 mph - not bad for a 150 ton beast.
The global population of blue whales was decimated by the whaling trade in the first half of the twentieth century, but since it received complete protection in 1964 there are signs that the blue whale population has recovered to a certain degree. It is estimated that currently there are about 10,000 blue whales coursing the currents.
You can find this on Google Earth, or probably any other of those satellity sites, at the following grid reference: 29o 39' 43.15'' N; 81o 17' 40.50'' W.
Back to the Top Ten Google Earth Images
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Images: Google
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