Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Found along both of the Canadian coasts, these magnificent creatures are the largest living organism that has and is living on the planet Earth. At a maximum length of over thirty metres and weighing in at 130 tonnes, these shy, docile animals would dwarf the largest of the dinosaurs. Blue whales are relatively social animals and will travel in groups of 2-3 whales, but more often than not they are seen singly. During the springtime they are found in waters that border the polar ice caps where they feed on plankton. As it get colder, they begin to travel to warmer waters. In the past blue whales were severely hunted for their blubber and oils, one whale yielding on average over forty tons of oil. They were driven to the edge of extinction, but legislation has since banned the hunting of these awe-inspiring animals, and subsequently their numbers seem to be on the rebound. Blue whales are strictly filter feeders meaning that they feed solely on tiny plankton, which they strain out of the water with plates of baleen in their mouths.

Distribution of Blue Whale in Canada