Antarctic Blue Whale

The Antarctic blue whale is the largest subspecies of blue whale and the largest animal known to have ever existed, reaching lengths of up to 30 meters and weighing up to 180 tonnes. It is physically larger and heavier than other regional blue whale populations.

This massive subspecies primarily inhabits the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. They spend their summers feeding in these polar waters before migrating toward warmer equatorial waters to breed during the winter.

The Antarctic blue whale population was severely depleted by industrial whaling in the 20th century, dropping from roughly 240,000 individuals to just a few hundred. Today, they are listed as critically endangered, but their numbers are slowly recovering due to international protections.

Like other blue whales, the Antarctic blue whale survives exclusively by filtering krill out of the water using its baleen plates. During the summer feeding season in the Southern Ocean, they consume massive quantities of Antarctic krill to sustain their colossal size.