Blue whale map Balaenoptera musculus Endangered
Where the blue whale lives: an interactive map of its subspecies and recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 4,955 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 2° grid cells and clipped to the sea. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Balaenoptera musculus |
|---|---|
| Status | Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 3 |
| Records used | 4,955 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Whales & dolphins |
Interesting facts
- The blue whale is the largest animal known ever to have existed. [source]
- Blue whales produce some of the loudest and lowest frequency vocalizations in the animal kingdom, and their inner ears appear well adapted for detecting low-frequency sounds. [source]
About the blue whale
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a species of baleen whale and the largest marine mammal in the rorqual family Balaenopteridae. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9–30.5 m (98–100 ft) and weighing up to 190–200 t (190–200 long tons; 210–220 short tons), it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can be of various shades of greyish-blue on its upper surface and somewhat lighter underneath. Four subspecies are recognized: B. m. musculus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia in the Southern Ocean, B. m. brevicauda (the pygmy blue whale) in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, and B. m. indica in the Northern Indian Ocean. There is a population in the waters off Chile that may constitute a fifth subspecies.
Subspecies (6)
Subspecies listed in Wikidata as children of Balaenoptera musculus (fossil-only taxa excluded). Classification is debated for many animals and lists differ between authorities.
- Balaenoptera musculus intermedia Critically endangered
on the map - Balaenoptera musculus musculus
12 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map) - Balaenoptera musculus arabica
no open-licence GBIF records - Balaenoptera musculus chilensis
no open-licence GBIF records - Balaenoptera musculus indica
1 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Blue whale (revision 1379041047), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q42196 (CC0).
More whales & dolphins
Browse: all whales & dolphins · all animal groups · all 33 animals