{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "blue-whale",
  "name": "Blue Whale",
  "scientificName": "Balaenoptera musculus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever existed, reaching up to 30 m (98 ft) long and 180 tonnes. It feeds almost entirely on tiny krill, eating up to 4 tonnes a day, and its heart alone can weigh as much as a small car. Blue whales can live 80 to 90 years.",
  "conservationStatus": "Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Balaenopteridae",
    "genus": "Balaenoptera"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 150000,
    "lengthM": 30,
    "topSpeedKmh": 50,
    "lifespanYears": 85
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Balaenoptera musculus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (krill)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Open oceans worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "80–90 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "Up to 30 m (98 ft)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Up to 180 tonnes"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Endangered (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "All major oceans, from polar feeding grounds to tropical breeding waters.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Cooke, J. G. (2018). Balaenoptera musculus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Balaenoptera musculus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Balaenoptera_musculus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.",
      "url": null
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-whale/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-whale/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}