We
will see many other animals besides Blue Whales. The Gulf
or California is well known for its abundance of marine animal
life. Birds, dolphin, several other species of large whale
are all likely to be observed on our trip.
During
the day we will stop and enjoy a leisurely lunch time picnic
on one of the secluded sandy offshore island beaches.
There are many interesting animals and things to see during
our brief time on shore each day.
Blue
Whale Quick facts:
Length:
currently up to 90 feet. Before whaling probably up to
120 feet. Weight up to 140 tons, but in the past maybe
20 to 50 tons more than that.
Blue
whales are baleen whales, who eat krill and other small pelagic
marine animals. They have two blow holes. The heart
of an adult blue whale is about the size of VW Beetle.
The carotid artery is about 12" to 18" in diameter, compared
to 1/4" for humans. The internal temperature is about
98 to 99 degrees fahrenheit. The heart rate at rest is
5 to 10 beats per minute compared to an average human heart
rate of 60 or 70 beats.
Blue
whales are semi-deep divers going down as deep as 600 feet in
search of the 1 to 8 tons of krill they consume in a single
day, depending on location and season. The Blue Whale
typically dives for periods averaging 5 to 10 minutes.