Largest Animal in Existence

The largest known animal in existence today, or ever to exist for that matter, is the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). It is significantly bigger then the next nearest species of whale and is larger than even the biggest dinosaurs that have been discovered. To give some perspective of its size, it has several arteries which would be large enough for a human to swim down. They can also reach lengths of over 30 meters long and can weigh in excess of 200 tonnes.

The Blue Whale can be found worldwide, although generally it is more concentrated in Antarctic waters due to a greater abundance of plankton and krill on which it feeds. They can also be found at certain times of the year at breeding grounds which the various populations use. But other than this the Blue Whale will freely roam the entire ocean mass and will generally be wherever there is a good supply of plankton.

The global populations of the Blue Whale today are less then one percent of what they should be. Since the mass whaling industry began just before the turn of the century the blue whales have been the first to suffer because of their size making them an attractive target. After all why hunt 5 small whales when you can hunt one large one and make the same amount. Before the advent of motorized harpoons and powered ships they were largely left alone by the hunters because they were too large and strong to easily catch, and could have capsized many wooden ships. Now of course there is a ban on all whaling, which although ignored by certain countries, is still enforced by most of the world. So hopefully the populations of the blue whales can again reach their natural levels.