The blue whale’s immense size is a testament to the ocean’s capacity to support life on an unparalleled scale. Understanding the sheer magnitude of this marine giant helps contextualize its remarkable features.
Unveiling the Tongue’s True Scale
The blue whale’s tongue is an astonishing organ, notable for both its size and weight. It can weigh between 2.7 to 4 tons (approximately 5,400 to 8,000 pounds or 2,700 to 3,600 kilograms). The tongue alone can weigh as much as a fully grown Asian elephant. Its length can extend up to 18 feet.
The entire mouth cavity of a blue whale is large enough to hold up to 90 tonnes of food and water, with some estimates suggesting it could accommodate 100 people. Such immense proportions highlight the specialized adaptations required for this creature’s survival.
The Tongue’s Role in Feeding
The blue whale’s tongue plays a crucial role in its unique feeding strategy, known as lunge feeding. As baleen whales, they do not possess teeth; instead, they have thousands of baleen plates hanging from their upper jaws. During lunge feeding, the whale accelerates and opens its mouth to engulf enormous volumes of water, along with its primary food source: tiny crustaceans called krill.
Once a mouthful of water and krill is taken in, the massive tongue is pressed against the baleen plates. This action forces the water out through the baleen, which acts like a sieve, trapping the krill inside the whale’s mouth. The tongue’s elasticity allows it to invert and form a large sac, helping to manage the immense volume of water. This process enables the whale to filter and consume millions of krill daily, supporting its enormous body.
Beyond the Tongue: Other Astonishing Blue Whale Facts
Beyond its remarkable tongue, the blue whale exhibits other extraordinary physical characteristics. These marine mammals can reach lengths of up to 100 feet (30.5 meters) and weigh as much as 200 tons (approximately 181,437 kilograms). This makes them not only the largest living animal but also the heaviest animal known to have ever existed.
The blue whale’s heart is also impressively large, typically weighing between 400 to 600 pounds (180 to 270 kilograms). While often compared in size to a small car, more recent estimates suggest it might be closer to the size of a golf cart. Blue whales are among the loudest animals on Earth, producing low-frequency vocalizations that can travel for hundreds of miles underwater. These powerful calls can reach up to 188 decibels.