Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus
This life-sized model of a blue whale was based on a 28.2 m (92.5 ft) female
taken by a whaling ship in 1926. Because the specimen was dead, it was bloated.
More recent scientific observations show that living blue whales are sleeker.
Blue whales--the largest animal that has ever lived--migrate over 4,000 to 5,000
km (2,500 to 3,100 mi) of ocean every year. Their survival depends on protecting
ocean ecosystems on a global scale. Uncontrolled hunting nearly eliminated the
blue whale in the 1960s. Bans on commercial whaling have since enabled their
slow recovery.
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