Blue Whale
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Blue Whale Behaviour

Blue Whale behavior: socializing  

Blue whales usually live alone, but they can be seen feeding together. Such groups are however very lose and ephemeral and little is known about social Blue Whale behavior within these groups. Blue Whales can also live together in pairs; either two adults or a female Blue Whale with her calf. DNA analysis has determined that when adults pair up, they are usually of different sexes, and the same pair seems to stick together over a long period of time. It is however possible for a male to pair with different female Blue Whales at different times.  

Blue Whale behavior: sounds

Giving an accurate description of the various Blue Whale sounds is difficult in text, but they have been described as moans, hums, grunts and clicks. They voice of the Blue Whale is very deep and the frequency of the vocalizing can go as deep as 14 Hz where it is impossible for the human ear to hear it. The Blue Whale is also capable of producing sounds of a very high volume; over 180 decibels.

Blue Whale behavior: migration 

Migration is an important aspect of Blue Whale behavior. Blue Whales spend the summers feeding at the poles where they can ingest 4-6 tons of euphausiids (krill) each day. As the conditions grow colder during fall, they migrate back to warmer regions closer to the equator where they breed during the winter. Since the summer season occurs in June-August around the North Pole and in December-February around the South Pole, Blue Whales from different hemispheres will never meet each other at the equator.

Blue Whale behavior: diving  

The Blue Whale does not like to dive very deep. It is sometimes found as deep down as 200 meters (660 feet), but will spend most of its time at depths of less than 100 meters (330 feet). A typical dive will last no longer than 10-20 minutes.

Blue Whale behavior: blowing

When a Blue Whale returns to the surface after a dive, it lets out a characteristic blow. Such a blow consists of a mixture of humid air from the lungs, ocean water and mucus. A blow will usually reach a height of 9 meters (30 feet).