22 Metre Long Giant Blue Whale Killed By Passing Ship

Published by djmick on June 10th, 2009

giant blue whale found dead

This images captures the astonishing sight of a dead giant blue whale was found by researchers from Oregon State University in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of California.

The team came across the carcass while out on research aboard The Pacific Storm which is 84 feet, or just over 25 metres long – meaning this whale must be roughly 22 metres long.

Blue whales are the largest animal ever to have lived – even larger than the dinosaurs.

They are a sub-species of baleen whale, feeding mainly on krill, that can grow to up to 30 metres long, and weigh 100-150tonnes.

Their mouths could hold up to 100 people, and their hearts are the size of a small car.

They are long-lived, also, with an average lifespan of 110 years. The blue whale is also one of the largest animals in the sea, capable of making noises as loud as a jet engine – though at frequencies too low for a human being to hear.

The majestic creatures live in all oceans of the world, though they are predominantly found in the North Atlantic, the North Pacific, and just above Antarctica.

By the 1960s they were classified as being on the brink of extinction, and they are still on the endangered list – making the tragic loss of this one all the more poignant.

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