The Blue Whale is a marine mammal belonging to the baleen whales (Mysticeti). It is a minor character in Happy Feet.
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In the Real World[]
Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at a length of 110 feet (33 meters) long and upwards of 200 tons (181 metric tons). Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an African elephant. Their hearts, as much as an automobile.
Blue whales reach these mind-boggling dimensions on a diet composed nearly exclusively of tiny shrimplike animals called krill. During certain times of the year, a single adult blue whale consumes about 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of krill a day.
Blue whales are baleen whales, which means they have fringed plates of fingernail-like material, called baleen, attached to their upper jaws, baleen is mainly made of Keratin. The giant animals feed by first gulping an enormous mouthful of water, expanding the pleated skin on their throat and belly to take it in. Then the whale's massive tongue forces the water out through the thin, overlapping baleen plates. Thousands of krill are left behind—and then swallowed.
Blue whales look true blue underwater, but on the surface their coloring is more a mottled blue-gray. Their underbellies take on a yellowish hue from the millions of microorganisms that take up residence in their skin. The blue whale has a broad, flat head and a long, tapered body that ends in wide, triangular flukes.
The Whale taking its last breath before leaving
Blue whales live in all the world's oceans occasionally swimming in small groups but usually alone or in pairs. They often spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the Equator as winter arrives.
These graceful swimmers cruise the ocean at more than five miles an hour (eight kilometers an hour), but accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour (32 kilometers an hour) when they are agitated. Blue whales are among the loudest animals on the planet. They emit a series of pulses, groans, and moans, and it’s thought that, in good conditions, blue whales can hear each other up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away. Scientists think they use these vocalizations not only to communicate, but, along with their excellent hearing, to sonar-navigate the lightless ocean depths.
Mumble freaks out upon seeing the Whale
Blue whale calves enter the world already ranking among the planet's largest creatures. After about a year inside its mother's womb, a baby blue whale emerges weighing up to 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) and stretching to 25 feet (8 meters). It gorges on nothing but mother's milk and gains about 200 pounds (91 kilograms) every day for its first year.
Blue whales are among Earth's longest-lived animals. Scientists have discovered that by counting the layers of a deceased whale's waxlike earplugs, they can get a close estimate of the animal's age. The oldest blue whale found using this method was determined to be around 110 years old. Average lifespan is estimated at around 80 to 90 years.
The Whale's fluke
Between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales are believed to still swim the world's oceans. Aggressive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove them to the brink of extinction. Between 1900 and the mid-1960s, some 360,000 blue whales were slaughtered. They finally came under protection with the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but they've managed only a minor recovery since then. They were hunted for their Baleen Hairs that are made from Keratin, and transform the baleen for materials for structuring clothes.
Blue whales have few predators but are known to fall victim to attacks by sharks (Rarely) and killer whales, and many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships. Blue whales are currently classified as endangered on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List.
In the Happy Feet franchise[]
In a remakes scene from Happy Feet, "Mumble Meets a Blue Whale", Mumble was shocked to come face-to-face with such a large whale, and the Albatross explained to him that Blue Whales didn't eat penguins. Mumble later learned that the whales are also facing threat and are dying, because the Aliens are also going to kill them for their body parts.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Blue whales are the biggest characters in the Happy Feet Franchise.
- They only have one appearance: Mumble meets a Blue Whale.
- Just like Penguins, Blue whales are suffering through animal problems, which are whaling boats killing them for their Baleen Bristles.