The female blue whale reproduces only once in two years, and hence their numbers do not increase a lot. Blue whales are mainly hunted commercially because whale body parts make a wide range of products such as soap and oil. The only known Blue Whale predators (which are rarely successful) are pods of hungry Orca. Images ⓒ: Blue whale with head out of water: Anthony Pierce, Alamy. Blue whales, along with many other cetacean species, are regarded highly when it comes to spiritual and aesthetic value. Blue whales have probably become endangered due to their large size, which manages to draw the attention of humans towards them. Quiz & Worksheet Goals. Given their massive size, you might wonder why Blue Whales are endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Due to extensive and uncontrolled hunting. Pollution is another reason why blue whales are endangered. I can’t explain how proud I felt. Humans have hunted sometimes just to brag about, but it is actually a rule set by the international community in 1966 that blue whale hunting is illegal. Interesting Blue Whale Facts 1. Due to aggressive hunting and environmental changes, these ocean-dwellers could become extinct. Yes — the blue whale is classified as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) red list. If the larger whales such as the blue whale or sperm whale are beached, they cannot support their own weight. The blue whales are currently classified as endangered by the IUCN. Here is a Blue Whale being hunted. However, in 1864 whaler Svend Foyn began using harpoons for catching large whales. With only 10,000-25,000 left in the wild, these magnificence marine mammals are today classified as an endangered species. Threats To Orcas Or Killer Whales: There are two types of threats faced by killer whales- natural dangers and man-made danger. There are only 10 to 25 thousand blue whales left swimming in the ocean. Global blue whale population estimates are thought to range from 5000-12000, however, a reliable recent global population estimate does not exist. All these factors, that have been mentioned above, contribute to support the fact that there are now less than 15000 left on the earth, making them critically endangered blue whales. TED-Ed Recommended for you. Some people used to hunt them, but there is a law against hunting them in the United States. Their tongue weighs as much of an elephant. Dany Zbinden of the organization Mériscope stresses the importance of protecting whales, as doing so will not only ensure the recovery of their own populations, but also the survival of other species in the marine ecosystem. A. Before whaling there may have been as many as 250,000; today, it is one of the world's rarest species, with the population of blue whales … Sadly, there is almost nothing we can do about this issue. What threatens the beluga whale in the last 50 years is not only its predators. A total of 372 blue whales have been photographically identified (up to 105 in a year) Initially, the blue whale was not targeted by whalers because of their speed, size and power. Ships will crash into the giants, and automatically kill them. They feed almost exclusively on krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sieve).Some of the biggest individuals may eat up to 6 tons of krill in 1 day. yes there are about 5000-15000 left in the world because the whales are hunted and killed by sharks and some people eat the whales as food. Whales are known for being the largest animals on the planet, as well as quite intelligent. The global population of blue whales is uncertain, but based on research from the IUCN, the global total for the species is estimated to be between 10,000-25,000 and classed as endangered. The endangered status of Blue Whales was… The Blue Whale is classified as endangered. The blue whale is being protected from extinction through several conservation methods, such as being listed and protected under the Species at Risk Act and the Endangered Species Act. Whale hunting is believed to be the main reason why there are only few individuals from the species left. Their body colors are the shade of bluish-gray or sometimes can seem lighter underneath. this planet are still alive and that I actually did see one. Blue whales are the largest mammals that ever lived, but they are also an endangered species. Yes, very much so They are considered endangered, but maybe not as much as previously thought. An endangered animal can be classified as endangered, vulnerable, or critically endangered. Blue Whale is the largest animal that ever existed on the entire Earth. Whale-watching has become an important part of ecotourism in recent years. They can live in nature for about 50 years. The Blue Whale is a cosmopolitan species, found in all oceans except the Arctic, but absent from some regional seas such as the Mediterranean, Okhotsk and Bering seas.They are most abundant in the southern Indian Ocean on the Madagascar plateau, and off South Australia and Western Australia, where they form part of a more or less continuous distribution from Tasmania to Indonesia. Scientific Name: Balaenoptera musculus Status: Endangered Number Remaining: 10,000 to 25,000 Average Length: 80-100 feet Average Weight: about 200 tons The blue whale is the largest animal on our planet. Threats. Clarifying endangered isolated populations vs. entire species, a quote from Dr. Jefferson: "The gray, sei, blue, and fin whale species are not endangered on a global scale, but isolated populations of these species have been severely depleted and face some danger of extinction. The blue whale helps provide a large amount of oxygen into the earth’s atmosphere. While it may be considered an endangered species, the blue whale is truly international, occurring in all oceans except the Arctic, and enclosed seas of course. As whales lie at the top of the food pyramid, any decline or increase in their population is an indication of a change in their habitat. The IUCN lists the main threats to these animals as … Blue whales are endangered because of us. The rubbish goes in to the water stream in the run off process of the water cycle and flows in to the oceans causing the whales to die. Home / Pets & Animals / Marine Life / Why Are Killer Whales Endangered? Yes, us humans are the cause of the endangerment of blue whales. The endangered status of Blue Whales was caused largely by the whaling industry. Yes they are! 29. These laws protect blue whales under international law and make it illegal to kill them. Blue whale with back out of water: Sburel, Dreamstime. Blue whale, a species of baleen whale, a cetacean, that is the most massive animal ever to have lived. 30. The Blue Whale is protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Laws have been past, but people still have been hunting Blue Whales illegally to this day for their blubber and meat. - Asha de Vos - Duration: 5:21. Body I. Whaling much diminished the number of whales left in the world’s bodies of water. Blue Whales almost went extinct. Whales in general can reach huge sizes because their weight is supported by water. Plus, they’re rather majestic to watch—which is why whale watching is such a popular activity for anyone on the coast! Blue Whale. Laws have been put around the safety of Blue Whales, but the population will never grow to what it was in the past. Besides the commercial fishing, Blue whales are also endangered by its own nature. Take a … The blue whales have a wide distribution, found in the world’s oceans from the poles to the equator, exhibiting seasonal migrations from the polar and subarctic regions in summer to the tropical and subtropical waters in winter. The blue whale population for the western North Atlantic was estimated to be in the low hundreds. Blue whale in dark blue ocean: Brandon Cole Marine Photography, Alamy. Why are blue whales an endangered species? Blue whales are endangered due to massive hunting by whaling nations such as Japan. By Staff Writer Last Updated Apr 7, 2020 9:51:31 PM ET Killer whales are endangered due to a number of threats, including oil spills, bio-accumulation of PCB and other contaminants, noise pollution, collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, shootings by fishermen, and habitat disturbance by whale watchers. Humans began hunting whales (called whaling) in large numbers around the 17th and 18th century. Skip navigation Sign in. But there’s more to whales than beauty and intrigue. Blue whales have long, slender mottled grayish-blue bodies, although they appear blue underwater. These whales are often killed because of poaching. Blue Whale are all over oceans except the Arctic Ocean. It’s also listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. You'll need to answer questions about the following: 7. All beluga whales found in Alaska are protected because they are on the list of endangered species. Hence, the Endangered Species Act of 2005 granted federal protection to killer whales and designated their geographical as protected ‘critical habitat’. Although the… Blue Whale Endangered Animal Cause And Effect. The mouth of the blue whale contains a row of plates that are fringed with ‘baleen’, which are similar to bristles. They can grow to 29.9 m in length and 173 tons of weight. Find this out and see what you know about why the blue whale is endangered by using the quiz and worksheet. Weighing approximately 150 tons, it may attain a length of more than 30 meters (98 feet). Let me tell you some facts about Blue Whales. And even these “Killer Whales” rarely prey on anything larger than a baby Blue Whale. Unfortunately, ocean pollution, boat strikes, and the whaling industry are a constant threat to these endangered animals. I found out that the Blue Whale that I saw when I was kid on the beaches of Vizag was actually one of the biggest animal ever lived. They’re also critical to our ecosystem. There are less than 100,000 individuals in the world, so efforts must be taken seriously. Blue whales are the largest animals ever to live on our planet. Why Are Blue Whales Endangered? ... Why are blue whales so enormous? It weighs as much as 33 elephants, are as long about three school buses, has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and it must eat around 4 tons of krill per day! Since they have been protected, Blue Whales have been able to recover, and there are now 1,500-2,500 Blue Whales left in the wild. Blue whales are predominantly blue-gray animals whose lower surfaces are lighter gray or white.