bluewhales

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SINCE NOV.15, 1999

BLUE WHALES The blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man.Contrary to what most people think, even though blue whales live in the sea, they are mamals.They breath air, have their babies born alive, and can live anywhere from 30 - 70 years. The blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, blue whales have around 300- 400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name for the blue whale is balsenopteramusculus. Baleen are rows of course, bristle like fibers used to strain plakton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin the same material as our fingernails. Bluewhales live and travel in pods. The bluewhale has two blow holes, and a thick layer of blubber to protect them from the cold. FEEDING Bluewhales have baleen instead of teeth. They use the baleen to filter out krill, which is their main food source. A bluewhale can filter out 10 tons of water a day. Whales pose no threat to humans, even though they are 25 times our size. POPULATION and DISTRIBUTION The Atlantic population of blue whales is found in spring, summer and fall, along the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and off of Eastern Nova Scotia. Estimates of the Bluewhale population in The Gulf of St. Lawrence does not exist, but most think that it is between 75-100. It is estimated that only 1000 - 5000 blue whales are left on earth Bluewhales migrate in small "herds". Bluewhales spend most of there time near the polar icecaps, and they spend there winters in temprate waters. STATUS Both the atlantic and the Pacific populations of blue whales were designated rare in 1983, in 1990 the designation rare was changed to vunerable. LIMITING FACTORS The main reason for the decline in bluewhale stocks has been commercial whaling, since the whale is now protected from explotion, it is hoped that the bluewhale's population will revitilize itself. PROTECTION In Canada, bluewhales are protected under the Canadain Whaling Regulations, these regulations prohibit commercial whaling in Canada's 200 mile fishing zone. Internationally, bluewhales are under the proction of the International Whaling Commision, which limits whaling to local inhabints, and tribes. Whaling in the North pacific is banned on bluewhales all together since 1966.