blue whale
nounDefinition of blue whale
: a very large baleen whale (Balaenoptera musculus synonym Sibbaldus musculus) that may reach a weight of 150 tons (136 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal
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Examples of blue whale in a Sentence
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In 2007, five blue whales were found dead in the channel. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "California sound system tries to keep whales and ships apart," 16 Aug. 2019 In the United States, festival-goers produce 53,000 tons of waste each year, the equivalent of 450 blue whales, according to Claire O'Neill, co-founder of A Greener Festival, a group that helps festivals reduce their environmental impact. — Isabelle Gerretsen, CNN, "How not to trash the planet at a music festival," 25 June 2019 Meet Our Experts National Geographic Emerging Explorer Asha de Vos is a Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator, and pioneer of blue whale research within the Northern Indian Ocean. — National Geographic, "Bali High School Expedition," 17 June 2019 Asha is the first Sri Lankan to earn a Ph.D. in marine mammal research; founded the nonprofit Oceanswell; and runs the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project, which is the first long-term study of blue whales in the region. — National Geographic, "Bali High School Expedition," 17 June 2019 Most whale populations have not yet been recovered, including larger whales such as blue whales, fin whales and sei whales. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Japan will resume commercial whaling in July after a 30-year break," 9 June 2019 Even though the cells of a blue whale and of a fruit fly are roughly the same size, the whale’s cell has a lower metabolic rate. — Quanta Magazine, "Too Small for Big Muscles, Tiny Animals Use Springs," 13 June 2018 According to a press release, the researchers dated the bones to 205 million years ago, and estimate that in life the Lilstock ichthyosaur would have been up to 85 feet long, edging well into blue whale territory. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "This Ancient Reptile Was One of the Most Massive Creatures That Ever Lived," 10 Apr. 2018 He’s previously used a blue whale’s earplug to track changing levels of pollution that the whale was exposed to. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Whales are stressed out by climate change, and it shows in their earwax," 16 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blue whale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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