Kingdom of the Blue Whale

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By Linda | March 6, 2009

This week I previewed National Geographic Channel’s “Kingdom of the Blue Whale” which is scheduled to premier on Sunday, March 8 at 8PM ET/PT.

Blue Whales are among the most mysterious creatures on our planet. Our understanding of their migratory and reproductive habits is sketchy at best.

This program takes the viewer on a groundbreaking journey of discovery with a group of eminent blue whale scientists on a revolutionary mission: To find, identify, and tag California Blue Whales, use the DNA samples to study individual animals, then rejoin the massive creatures’ stunning migration. These experts have observed, firsthand, courtship behavior among the whales. Now, they hope to find and record the Holy Grail of Blue Whale science — the breeding and calving grounds of the biggest mammals in the sea.

To learn more about this program, view scheduled air times or set a reminder so you don’t miss it CLICK HERE

Interesting Facts about the Blue Whale

Since 1966 it has been illegal to hunt Blue Whales, but their meat is still considered a delicacy in some places such as Japan.
There are 9 distinct Blue Whale populations on Earth.
Blue Whales make some of the loudest calls of any animal although we require special technology to hear them.
Blue Whales are about twice the size of other better known whale species.
An adult female Blue Whale can weigh almost 200 tons. That’s more than 25 times the size of an elephant!
An adult Blue Whale’s heart is as large as a small car, weighing in at close to 1000 pounds!
An adult Blue Whale can be as long as 2 city buses from bumper to bumper.
Mother Blue Whales are the largest creatures to have ever lived on Earth (including dinosaurs).
The largest creatures on Earth eat a diet consisting of some of the smallest - such as krill and plankton.
It takes about 2000 pounds of food to fill the belly of a Blue Whale and they consume a total of about 7000 pounds daily!
The markings on the dorsal area of a Blue Whale are unique to each animal - like a human fingerprint.