Archive for February, 2010
Blue whales are kings of the seas. What do they have to do with human health? Well, what would you say if I told you that this king of the seas’ diet was solely dependent on phytoplanktons? Yes, this big guys move around and survive through such small organisms such as phytoplanktons. Amazing, right? The story just keeps on getting better too. Read on to find out why.
Just how big are blue whales? Well, they measure up to 33.6 meters in length and 181 metric tons or more in weight. Blue whales are the largest whales and also the largest living animal. It is even believed to be the largest animal ever to have existed. Yes, they are. The largest known dinosaur, the Argentinosaurus was estimated to weigh in 90 tons and up to 27m in length, slightly smaller than the blue whale. The extinct fish Leedsichthys may also approached that size but still is considered to be smaller than the blue whale. That’s how big these guys are.
A Blue Whale’s tongue weighs around 2.7 tons. Its mouth when fully expanded is large enough to hold 90 tonnes of food and water. Its heart weighs 600 kg and is the largest to be known in any other animal. A new born blue-whale weights up to 2,700 kg, the same weight as a fully grown hippopotamus. On its seventh month, a baby blue whale can drink an approximately 400 liters of milk everyday.
With their size blue whales can travel hundreds of miles without rest and consume up to 1.5 million calories a day in order to restore its massive energy requirements. They can reach speeds of 30 mph over short bursts while 12 mph is their more typical traveling speed.
And guess what? Blue Whales feed on marine phytoplankton. And you know what else is amazing? Scientists and nutritionists have created a raw organic superfood that uses phytoplankton. It is called Marine Phytoplankton.
