In recent months, orcas ( Orcinus orca) have also been spotted abducting baby pilot whales and tearing open sharks to feast on their livers. This was the first-ever documented case of orca-on-blue-whale predation, but it wouldn't be the last. The orcas devoured huge chunks of flesh from the flanks of an adult blue whale, which died an hour later. In March 2019, researchers off the coast of southwestern Australia witnessed a gruesome scene: a dozen orcas ganging up on one of the biggest creatures on Earth to kill it. (Image credit: The Asahi Shimbun Premium via Getty Images) If you have enjoyed this post, feel free to stick around and learn more about whales and other marine wildlife.Orcas ( Orcinus orca) are apex predators that can take on prey much larger than themselves. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I hope you’ve learned something new today about the speed of blue whales. If you ever get the opportunity to witness a blue whale, I hope you take it. The blue whale is a magnificent animal, and witnessing one in the wild is a breathtaking experience that is something that stays with you forever. They typically have no natural predators so usually don’t need to swim at maximum speeds, however, they have been known to swim at these speeds when interacting with other whales. So, how fast are blue whales? Pretty fast! Around 5mph when feeding, 28 – 31mph in short bursts, and 12mph whilst traveling.Īlthough these whales are gigantic, they can generate some serious power when they want to and use their large tail to get up to some impressive speeds. Orca have a much better chance at taking out prey that is a little more their size, as many times their blue whale hunts are unsuccessful.Īdult blue whales do defend themselves against Orca, they will use tail slaps to injure the Orca, and a slap from a tail of the size could seriously injure anything it hits. They are relying on the blue whale to become exhausted and essentially give up the fight. Oftentimes if the blue whale is traveling with young, the Orca will target the young specifically as they know the chances of taking out an adult blue whale are slim.Īfter the Orca has blocked the whale’s escape, they will continuously take bites out of the whale’s blubber until it becomes too weak to escape. Orca are incredibly smart animals that work together to surround the blue whale and then make the kill. This means the blue whale often can’t escape Orca and instead has to defend itself. Orca are able to swim at speeds of 56kmh, which is a little faster than the blue whale. The only known predator to even attempt to take down a blue whale is the Orca, a formidable hunter that typically hunts in pods. They are also filter feeders, so are not active predators themselves.Ĭan you imagine if these magnificent whales were predators? The ocean would be a much more terrifying place, for everyone and everything involved. Can Blue Whales Escape Predators?įor the most part, blue whales are simply too large to have predators. They also have huge lungs that allow them to inhale a lot of oxygen, which can keep them moving at a pace for a fair distance.Īll of these amazing attributes combined allow the blue whale to move at impressive speeds when it needs to. For example, the blue whale’s heart can be the size of a car, ensuring it can pump blood through its body at all times. This whale has huge organs which allow it to operate as efficiently as possible. It is shaped like a bullet, and perfectly streamlined for the least resistance possible in the water. The blue whale’s shape is perfectly adapted for allowing them to glide through the water easily. They also have two, large pectoral fins that are roughly one foot each, these help the whale gain extra speed when they need to. Their tail is so large that when it pushes through the water it propels them forwards, allowing them to accelerate quickly too. Why Are Blue Whales Fast?ĭue to the blue whale’s size, they have a lot of power behind their tails which they can use to generate power. The Fin Whale is widely regarded as the fastest whale in the ocean, but blue whales are able to swim at similar speeds too. Pulling all of that weight through the water is certainly enough to tire even the largest animal on the planet out after a while. This makes the blue whales pretty fast swimmers, but only over short distances when they need to move quickly. Their average traveling speed is around 12mph, whereas when they are feeding, they are typically moving at around 5mph. Their weight and size mean they aren’t quite as agile as some other species of whale, but it does give them some serious power behind their tail.īlue whales can be quite fast when they need to be, when interacting with other whales they can reach impressive speeds of up to 31mph. 4 Final Thoughts Are Blue Whales Fast Or Slow?īlue whales can weigh between 130,000 – 150,000kg (around 190 tons), making them incredibly heavy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |