If there’s one animal that can be considered the “king” of the ocean, it’s without a doubt the blue whale. These gigantic creatures aren’t just the largest whale species today; they’re the largest ever! Knowing this, it’s hard to imagine what’s actually preying on these creatures around today. Incredibly, some creatures on Earth are battling some of the biggest creatures that have ever lived. Let’s Learn About Blue Whale Predators!
Do blue whales have natural enemies?
The only real predators of blue whales are large groups of orcas, and they can only prey on young whales.
As we all know, the blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived on earth. These mammals live in the ocean and eat up to 16 tons of food a day to support their metabolism. As crazy as it is, these 100-foot behemoths aren’t entirely safe swimming in the world’s oceans. The only natural predators of blue whales are orcas, but humans (or something related to humans) easily top the list in terms of the number of blue whales killed each year.
Orca (killer whale)
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are the ocean’s top predators. Commonly known as “sea wolves,” these sea animals are so intelligent and powerful that they hunt in packs. Currently, orcas are the only natural threat blue whales face during their lifetime. However, the vast majority of orcas prey on young whales. Blue whale calves are about 23 feet long at birth and can weigh up to 6,000 pounds, but a pod of orcas sees the calves as their primary prey. Incredibly, there are reports of orcas harassing and killing adult blue whales, but sightings are extremely rare.
Current photographic data shows that 3.7% of blue whales in Australia have rake marks left by orcas. Additionally, 42 percent of pygmy blue whales off the coast of Western Australia had rake marks. The data suggests that orcas may attempt to kill a large blue whale but prefer smaller prey, such as juveniles and smaller subspecies of pygmy blue whales. Some reports suggest that orcas killed and ate a 60-70 foot blue whale near Australia, although we know very little about the circumstances and whether the whale was injured.
Humanity
While humans aren’t considered “natural” predators, we certainly kill large numbers of blue whales every year. Humans currently kill an estimated 1,500 blue whales each year, although the data doesn’t explain whether this is due to hunting or boating accidents. On the West Coast of the United States alone, 18 blue whales die each year after being struck by boats.
What kills the most blue whales each year?
The current data on blue whale deaths is not that good. Knowing this, we’re going to have to make some assumptions about the data, but they’re not huge leaps.
Current estimates of the blue whale population range from 15,000 to 25,000 individuals, including both calves and adults. Data on killer whale predation of blue whales is scarce, but this is a rare occurrence. In fact, when it does happen, it usually gets a lot of press coverage. Even so, the vast majority of blue whale deaths due to orca predation are calves or juveniles, not adults. Humans, on the other hand, kill at least 1,500 adult whales each year, according to americanoceans.org. Knowing this, we can assume that humans kill the most blue whales each year.
The killing of blue whales is completely banned, but “accidents” still happen every year.
Are humans still hunting blue whales?
There is no doubt that humans have been the most aggressive predators of blue whales ever recorded. “Whaling” has existed for thousands of years, and indigenous peoples around the world have hunted whales as a way to provide food and supplies to their regions. In fact, Norwegians have been whaling for at least 4,000 years. However, when the whaling process was industrialized, the problem of extinction began to arise.
For a long time, blue whales were considered impossible to hunt due to their enormous size and weight. However, that changed in 1864 when the diesel and steam powered explosive harpoon gun was invented. Within a few decades, as many as 35,000 blue whales were killed each year.
The IWF (International Whaling Commission) banned the killing of blue whales in 1966 when groups around the world became aware of the dramatic population decline (moral pressure from activist groups was exerting). The last country to kill blue whales stopped in the 70s.
Today, the deliberate killing of blue whales is not widespread, although accidents and incidents still occur from time to time.
How many blue whales did humans kill when whaling was legal?
Before the widespread whaling of the 20th century, an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 blue whales roamed the world’s oceans. At the peak of the blue whale hunt in 1931, an estimated 30,000 whales were killed each year.
There are currently between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales living in the world’s oceans. Over the course of a few decades, humans killed approximately 99 percent of the entire blue whale population.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.