Discover How Fast Blue Whales Can Swim: Top Speeds and Interesting Facts!

Written by Heather Hall
Updated: August 29, 2023
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Welcome to our article on the fascinating world of blue whales! In this piece, we’ll be exploring one of the most impressive aspects of these magnificent creatures: their incredible speed. Blue whales are known for being the largest animals in existence, with some individuals measuring up to 100 feet long and weighing over 200 tons. Despite their massive size, however, these giants of the sea are capable of reaching astonishing speeds when they need to. So if you’re curious about just how fast a blue whale can swim, or if you simply want to learn more about these awe-inspiring creatures, then read on!

How Fast Do Blue Whales Swim?

Must See Cute & Huge Baby Blue Whale! Cover image

Blue whales have the largest head of any animal on Earth.

©iStock.com/MR1805

Blue whales are the largest creatures on Earth, weighing up to 200 tons and stretching up to 100 feet in length. Despite their massive size, these gentle giants are capable of reaching impressive speeds when they need to. In fact, blue whales can swim at a maximum speed of around 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour). Their average speed is 5 miles per hour when they are traveling or eating. But they can zoom up to 20 miles an hour for a short while when they need some speed. This incredible feat is made possible by their powerful tail flukes, which propel them through the water with ease.

While they may not be the fastest swimmers in the ocean – that title goes to several species of sailfish- blue whales’ impressive size and speed make them one of the most awe-inspiring animals in existence.

Despite being able to move quickly when needed, blue whales generally have a calm demeanor and tend to move slowly and gracefully through the water. They often migrate long distances between their summer feeding grounds in polar waters and winter breeding areas near the equator, making use of ocean currents along the way.

How Far Do Blue Whales Swim?

The biggest animal in the world, a blue whale showing its back from dorsal fin to tail flukes
The biggest animal in the world, the blue whale, can migrate thousands of miles.

The annual migration of blue whales is a remarkable feat, covering an impressive distance of 4,000 miles. These majestic creatures spend the summer months in cooler northern waters, where they feast on krill, their primary food source. They are known to consume up to 40 million krill in a single day! As winter approaches and the water temperatures drop, these gentle giants travel southward toward their winter mating grounds located in tropical waters.

This long journey requires immense physical stamina and endurance from blue whales, who must swim continuously for weeks without rest or interruption. The migration also exposes them to various threats, such as ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, making it even more challenging for them to survive.

Despite facing numerous challenges during their migration, blue whales continue this incredible journey every year with determination and resilience. Their migratory patterns provide valuable insights into their behavior and help researchers understand how these magnificent animals adapt to changing environmental conditions.

How Big Are Blue Whales?

blue whale

Blue whales swim up to 20 miles per hour.

©Andrew Sutton/Shutterstock.com

Blue whales are truly incredible creatures, and their size alone is enough to capture anyone’s attention. These massive animals are the largest on Earth, measuring between 80-100 feet in length and weighing up to an astounding 441,000 pounds! That’s almost as heavy as a fully loaded Boeing 747 airplane.

While the average blue whale weighs around 300,000 pounds, there have been some truly gigantic specimens recorded throughout history. In fact, the longest blue whale ever measured was a staggering 108 feet long – that’s longer than three yellow school buses lined up in a row!

Despite their enormous size, however, blue whales have managed to adapt and thrive in their oceanic environment. They can swim at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour when they need to move quickly through the water.

One interesting fact about these giant mammals is that their tongue alone can weigh as much as an elephant – that’s over two tons! And while most people might assume that such a large animal would have a short lifespan due to its size and metabolic demands, blue whales actually live for an impressive 80-90 years on average.

Perhaps one of the most mind-boggling facts about these majestic creatures is just how tall they are when turned on end: taller than even a towering ten-story building! Their heart alone weighs 400 pounds, but despite this immense weight, it only beats twice per minute – yet another fascinating aspect of this remarkable species.

How Big Are Blue Whale Babies?

blue whale

Blue Whales (Balsenoptera Musculus) have the largest babies on the planet.

©Danny Sullivan/Shutterstock.com

Blue whale calves are truly remarkable creatures and hold the title of being the largest babies on Earth. At birth, these magnificent mammals weigh in at an astounding 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) and measure approximately 26 feet (8 meters) in length. It’s hard to fathom that such a massive animal could begin its life as a tiny calf!

As if their size wasn’t impressive enough already, blue whale calves have one of the fastest growth rates in the animal kingdom. They gain around 200 pounds (90 kg) per day. Imagine how much food they must consume to sustain such rapid growth! In just 18 months from conception until weaning, their tissue mass increases by several billion-fold. It’s no wonder they’re able to reach lengths of up to 100 feet (30 meters) when fully grown.

It’s fascinating to think about what it takes for a creature like this to come into existence and grow at such incredible rates. Blue whales are truly awe-inspiring animals that continue to captivate us with their remarkable size and abilities.

How Loud are Blue Whales?

blue whales and a boat

Blue Whales (Balsenoptera Musculus) are very loud and can hear each other 1,000 miles away.

©Chase Dekker/Shutterstock.com

Blue whales are not only the largest animals in the world, but they are also the loudest. In fact, their calls can reach up to 188 decibels which is much louder than a jet engine registering 140 decibels. Their communication consists of various sounds, such as pulses, groans, and moans which make up their unique language.

What’s even more fascinating is that these sounds can travel great distances through water and be heard by other blue whales located up to 1,000 miles away (1,600 kilometers). This means that despite being solitary creatures for most of their lives, they are able to communicate with each other over vast distances.

The reason behind this ability lies in their anatomy. Blue whales have an elongated larynx that produces deep and loud vocalizations. They use these vocalizations for various reasons, such as to find potential mates or to communicate about food sources. Whales have been known to vocalize for up to 12 hours at once!

Overall, the loudness of blue whales’ calls, combined with their ability to travel long distances underwater, makes them one of the most intriguing species on Earth.

How Many Blue Whales Are Left?

blue whale
Blue Whales are on the decline, with less than 25,000 left on planet Earth.

The blue whale, once a plentiful species, faced devastation at the hands of whalers who discovered the valuable resource that lay within their bodies. The 20th century saw an unprecedented increase in whaling fleets, and this led to a significant decline in the population of blue whales. From 1904 to 1967, more than 350,000 blue whales were killed in the Southern Hemisphere alone, according to data from the World Wildlife Fund.

During one season in 1931- deemed as the ‘heyday of whaling,’ a staggering figure of approximately 29,000 blue whales were slaughtered for commercial purposes. As global awareness increased about this problem and its severity became apparent to all involved parties, worldwide protection was finally granted to these gentle giants by way of legislation passed in 1967.

Although commercial hunting is no longer allowed today, recovery has been slow for these majestic creatures because they continue to face new threats, such as ship strikes and climate change impacts. Despite there being around two thousand blue whales off California’s coast alone, experts estimate that there are only between ten thousand to twenty-five thousand individuals remaining globally.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered, which highlights just how much work needs doing if we want our planet’s largest mammals back roaming our seas aplenty once again. With time we can only hope that conservation efforts will help curb future declines so that future generations get an opportunity to appreciate these magnificent creatures too!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Rich Carey/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Heather Hall is a writer at A-Z Animals, where her primary focus is on plants and animals. Heather has been writing and editing since 2012 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, Heather enjoys hiking, gardening, and trail running through the mountains with her dogs.

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