---
title: "Blue Whale"
description: "Balaenoptera musculus — Mammals. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a species of baleen whale and the largest marine mammal in the rorqual family Balaenopteridae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/blue-whale
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Blue Whale

> Balaenoptera musculus — Mammals. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a species of baleen whale and the largest marine mammal in the rorqual family Balaenopteridae.

- Scientific name: *Balaenoptera musculus*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammals)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 2508
- Wikidata: [Q42196](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42196)
- iNaturalist taxon: [41553](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41553)

## Names

- en: Blue Whale
- de: Blauwal
- es: Ballena azul
- fr: Rorqual bleu
- nl: Blauwe vinvis
- pt: Baleia-azul
- pl: Płetwal błękitny

## Countries with the most observations

US (427), MX (124), LK (56), CA (47), CL (31), PT (30), NZ (24), SJ (24), AU (18), TL (18), ID (11), IS (10)

## Summary

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a species of baleen whale and the largest marine mammal in the rorqual family Balaenopteridae. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9–30.5 m (98–100 ft) and weighing up to 190–200 t (190–200 long tons; 210–220 short tons), it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can be of various shades of greyish-blue on its upper surface and somewhat lighter underneath. Four subspecies are recognized: B. m. musculus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia in the Southern Ocean, B. m. brevicauda (the pygmy blue whale…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale

## Photo

![Blue Whale](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/blue-whale/medium.jpg)

Photo: Zoltán Stekkelpak · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36694656

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/blue-whale?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).