Homework Help: Big Blue Whales

The BIG Blue Whale

Blue whales are beautiful, peaceful animals that swim in our oceans. They are the biggest animals in the world, and many adult blue whales are as long as a basketball court and as heavy as 20 double-decker buses.

The blue whale is a beautiful true-blue colour underwater, but out of the water it is blue-grey. There are far fewer blue whales these days, but by being environmentally friendly we can help protect these amazing animals.

 

Fast Food

During summertime, the blue whale must eat lots of food very quickly. By eating lots in summer, blue whales make fat around their body called ‘blubber’. This blubber gives them energy for the rest of the year. A blue whale swimming in the ocean.

Don’t be scared by the size of a blue whale – they don’t eat humans. In fact, blue whales eat tiny creatures called krill, which look like prawns. Krill are usually no longer than a paperclip, and blue whales must eat around four tonnes of them a day to take in the energy they need. A car weighs about a tonne, so imagine four piles of prawns each weighing as much as a car. That’s a lot of food!

Blue whales have a very clever and quick way of eating. They swallow big gulps of sea water which is full of tiny krill. Then they spit the water out again through a giant ‘comb’ at the front of their mouths. The comb catches the krill and the water is returned to the ocean. During feeding months, blue whales eat all day long.

 

Save the Whales!

Blue whales are ‘endangered’, which means they are in danger of dying out. Because blue whales used to be hunted as food for humans, their numbers have grown fewer and fewer. Now there are only believed to be 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales in our oceans. That’s not a lot, especially since more and more blue whales are dying.

It is now against the law to hunt whales, but many scientists believe blue whales are dying because of global warming. According to such scientists, global warming means that the planet is heating up and so are the oceans where blue whales live. They say we can reduce the effects of global warming and therefore help keep the oceans cool by turning off lights, computers and other electric things after using them.

If all the blue whales on the planet die, they will become ‘extinct’, which means they will be gone forever. This would be very sad.

 

True Blue or False

Have you been paying attention? Try our fun quiz and decide whether the following sentences are true or false:

1.    The blue whale is dangerous and eats human beings.
2.    The blue whale is the biggest animal in the world.
3.    You can help blue whales by turning off electrical items after you use them.
4.    There are millions of blue whales swimming in our oceans.

 

World Oceans Day

The 8th of June 2011 is World Oceans Day. This is a special day to remind us about taking care of our oceans and protecting ocean creatures like the blue whale. If there is an aquarium or museum near you, they may be holding a special event on World Oceans Day. Why not check with them and plan a visit?

 

Quiz Answers

1.    False
2.    True
3.    True
4.    False