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The blue whale population in Antarctica was drastically reduced by commercial whaling, which started in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 1904. Despite legal protection through the International Whaling Commission in the 1960s, illegal hunting continued until 1972. From about 125,000 individuals in 1926, numbers were reduced to about 3,000 individuals in 2018, which classifies the species as "critically endangered" on the IUCN Red List.

A remarkable number of Antarctic blue whales was recently sighted

A team of scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) was able to share some good news when returning from their recent expedition to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. They counted 55 Antarctic blue whales during their 2020 expedition, which they describe as "unprecedented". The South Georgia Waters remain an important summer feeding ground.

Dr. Jennifer Jackson, a whale ecologist at BAS, says: "After three years of surveys, we are thrilled to see so many whales visiting South Georgia to feed again. This is a place where both whaling and sealing were carried out extensively. It is clear that protection from whaling has worked, with humpback whales now seen at densities similar to those a century earlier when whaling first began at South Georgia."

What is WWF doing?

For many years, WWF has worked with the Southern Ocean Commission (CCAMLR) to protect the most critical habitats for iconic species such as whales, penguins, seals, seabirds and their prey - tiny Antarctic krill. In the Southern Ocean, CCAMLR has made a commitment to implement a network of marine protected areas around Antarctica, to protect a range of wildlife impacted by climate change including areas where whales feed on tiny Antarctic krill. WWF works with scientists to provide important information to help governments protect these crucial foraging areas.

"Antarctic blue whales are the largest animals on Earth and a spectacular wonder to witness in the wild. They are the true Antarctic giants. However, they are critically endangered, very slowly recovering from the impacts of 20th Century whaling. Now, we are working to protect the important foraging areas for blue whales in the Southern Ocean before it's too late. This research reaffirms there is still hope," says Chris Johnson, Global Lead for the Protecting Whales & Dolphins Initiative.

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The Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus ssp. Intermedia) is the largest animal on the planet, but it is critically endangered. WWF is working to protect blue whale habitat, and a remarkable number of blue whales were recently sighted in the southern Atlantic ocean.

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Get the measure of the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth. Learn what kind of diet it takes to reach 200 tons.

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A humpback whale feeding on small fish.

The blue whale is one of the most well-known species of marine mammal in the world. The blue whale's fame stems from the fact that it is currently the largest animal on Earth. Scientists have identified three unique subspecies of the blue whale which live in different oceans, including the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Antartic Ocean, and Indian Ocean. The global blue whale population has reduced significantly within the last century mainly due to hunting. In response, various organizations have been established in an attempt to protect and increase the global population of blue whales.

Diet of Blue Whale Calves

Blue whales are mammals and therefore young blue whales, called calves, feed on their mother's milk after birth. Blue whale calves can rely exclusively on their mother's milk for as long as 18 months, and can consume nearly 150 gallons of milk each day during the first year of life. Blue whale milk contains nearly 50% fat, which is essential for a calf's growth. While drinking this milk, blue whale calves gain roughly 8 pounds per hour until they are about eight months old. Calves continue to be dependent on their mother's milk until they can thrive on their own.

Diet of Adult Blue Whale

Due to their large size, adult blue whales spend a vast amount of time feeding to obtain energy and nutrients. The primary food source a the blue whale is krill, a type of crustacean found all over the world. Apart from krill, blue whales have also been known to feed on several species of copepods. The type of krill that the whales feed on depends significantly on location. For example, in the northern region of the Atlantic Ocean, the species of krill available include Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa longicaudata, and Thysanoessa raschii. In the northern region of the Pacific Ocean, the species of krill available includes Euphausia pacifica, Nyctiphanes symplex, and Thysanoessa longipes. Some of the krill species found in the Southern Hemisphere include Nyctiphanes australis, Euphausia superba, and Euphausia valentini. A fully grown blue whale can consume as many as 40 million krill in a single day, which weighs roughly 177,000 pounds. The primary reason why whales feed on such vast quantities of krill is that they have massive energy requirements. A fully matured blue whale needs at least 6.3 Gigajoules of energy on a daily basis.

Feeding Habits of the Blue Whale

Due to the massive amount of energy they require, blue whales tend to spend vast quantities of time in regions with a large concentration of krill. During the day, blue whales may dive to a depth of approximately 330 feet in search of krill. Blue whales feed through a unique method of filtering that is common to other baleen whales. The blue whale slowly absorbs water and food, and the water is expelled while the food is swallowed.

Threats to Blue Whales

One of the most significant threats that face the global blue whale population is collisions with ships. The blue whale population in California is most at risk of being hit by ships. Other threats facing blue whales include hunting and pollution of their habitats.

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The blue whale is one of the most well-known species of marine mammal in the world. The blue whale's fame stems from the fact that it is currently the largest animal on Earth. Scientists have identified three unique subspecies of the blue whale which live in different oceans, including the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Antartic Ocean, and Indian Ocean.

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The blue whale is not only one of the most well-known species of whale, it's also the largest known whale in existence growing to lengths of over 100 ft and weighing more than 150 tons; although 60 - 80 ft. is more common.

In the past (pre whaling era) blue whales were extremely abundant (150,000 - 200,000 before whaling began) and found swimming in all of the major oceans of the world, however today it is estimated that there are now only between 1,500 - 2,500 blue whales left in existence.

Because of their large size and supply of blubber blue whales were an extremely popular species to hunt and whalers would sell their blubber and body parts to suppliers who made various materials out of it.

In the past blue whales were hunted for:

Oil - Lamp oil, soap, perfume, candles and cosmetics

Food - Cooking oil, margarine and whale meat

Clothing - corsets and umbrellas

and various other products including tools such as fishing hooks.

How & why the hunting of blue whales began

During the 1,700′s whale blubber & oil became a lucrative business largely due to a growing industrial age and increasing dependency on oil combined with advances in technology and boating which made it easier for whalers to hunt, kill & capture whales, which quickly lead to a highly competitive (international) whaling market, and thus the whaling industry was born.

As technology, boats, and hunting equipment continued to evolve throughout the centuries the rate at which whales were being killed greatly increased and continued to shrink the existing whale populations, especially those of the blue whale and because blue whales were so large and whalers got paid top dollar for these mammals they were continually hunted by competitors until near extinction.

As whale populations declined significantly organizations such as The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling begin stepping in to limit the killing of endangered species and hopefully allow those species time to recover and repopulate.

In addition to the assistance these organizations provided towards the monitoring and regulation of whale hunting increases in technology and cheap alternative resources provided companies & suppliers with alternative methods of producing & selling their products without the need to use whale oil as a source of fuel or as an ingredient in their materials.

Although whales were being killed since the B.C. era it is believed that whale hunting hadn't caused much ecological impact due to limited technology and most killings remained limited to the coast line and near offshore waters.

During the pre whaling era the demand for whales was also much lower as their oil was not considered as vital due to a lack of technological advances and little need for it in regards to pre 16th century industrial equipment.

The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

In 1931 international agreements were made between various countries to minimize whale killings in an effort to help several species recover due to the endangered status of whales which was caused largely by the whaling industry.

The International Whaling Commission was created to monitor the whaling industry and limit their hunting efforts.

In 1986 the International Whaling Commission adopted a moratorium to prevent all whaling activities in the countries that signed into the agreement and established stronger legal actions among those caught participating in whaling activities.

Unfortunately even though agreements exist between various countries those that did not opt into the agreement are only bound by their countries own regulations on whaling (if the country has imposed regulations), which means that there are still countries today that consider whaling a source of industry.

Today however countries and companies that still hunt whales primarily hunt them as a source of food (in some areas whale meat is considered a delicacy) because other practical uses such as lamp oil, cosmetics and candles no longer require the parts or oil of whales to be produced.

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The blue whale is not only one of the most well-known species of whale, it's also the largest known whale in existence growing to lengths of over 100 ft and weighing more than 150 tons; although 60 - 80 ft. is more common.