Results for “what do blue whales eat” · retrieved September 22, 2026
Blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill, which are tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans.
Answer details
Feeding Method
Blue whales are filter feeders that use baleen plates to strain krill from large volumes of ocean water.
Daily Consumption
Depending on the individual and region, blue whales can consume between 1 and 8 tonnes of krill per day.
Regional Dietary Differences
While most populations rely on krill, the Northern Indian Ocean subspecies feeds predominantly on sergestid shrimp.
Occasional Prey
Blue whales may occasionally consume other small organisms, including fish, copepods, amphipods, cephalopods, and jellyfish.
Sources 8
About this answerWhat do blue whales eat?
Blue whales eat krill - tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans that live throughout Earth's oceans. The huge whales can eat up to four tonnes of krill every day....Blue whales lunge through large swarms of krill with their mouths open, taking in more food in one mouthful than any other animal on Earth. Krill make up the vast majority of a blue whale's diet....The blue whale is a filter-feeder. Its throat has an expandable, pleated structure to engulf a vo
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Blue Whale
Blue whales are members of the baleen or “great” whale family and are not only the largest of the rorquals, but they are the largest animals ever to live on our planet. They feed almost exclusively on krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sieve). Some of the biggest individuals may eat up to 6 tons of krill a day....The primary diet of blue whales is krill—t
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Blue whale | Length, Weight, & Facts | Britannica
that chemical element; this...(diatoms)...the whale’...and 80–100 long grooves running lengthwise down the throat...chest. Its mouth contains up to 800 plates of short, wide, black baleen, or “whalebone,” with thick, coarse bristles used for catching food. Females are generally larger than males, and the largest animals live in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica....The blue whale is found alone or in small groups in all oceans, but populations
May 27, 1999
Blue Whale: Science | NOAA Fisheries
Blue whales are members of the baleen or “great” whale family and are not only the largest of the rorquals, but they are the largest animals ever to live on our planet. They feed almost exclusively on krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sieve). Some of the biggest individuals may eat up to 6 tons of krill a day....The primary diet of blue whales is krill—t
Publication date not supplied
What do whales eat for dinner? | Natural History Museum
Blue whale diets...Blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived. These colossal cetaceans often reach 30 metres in length and can weigh up to 180 tonnes - so they need to eat a lot to keep them swimming....But despite their enormous size, blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill - small, shrimp-like crustaceans that grow to about six centimetres. These tiny animals are found in all of Earth's oceans, swimming in massive swarms, s
July 25, 2017
Blue whale
In general, blue whale populations migrate between their summer feeding areas near the poles and their winter breeding grounds near the tropics. There is also evidence of year-round residencies, and partial or age- and sex-based migration. Blue whales are filter feeders; their diet consists almost exclusively of krill. They are generally solitary or gather in small groups, and have no well-defined social structure other than mother–calf bonds. Bl
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Blue Whale | The Marine Mammal Center
The favorite food of these gentle giants is krill, or small shrimp-like animals. Blue whales can eat up to 12,000 pounds of krill a day during the feeding season. They concentrate on feeding during the polar summers primarily around the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay and the Farallon Islands/Cordell Bank off of California. During the winter months, they migrate to warmer waters in Mexico and Central America.
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New Determination of Prey and Parasite Species for Northern Indian Ocean Blue Whales
Baleen whales feed on small animals that can be filtered from the ocean using their baleen plates, which act like nets to separate their food from seawater (Pivorunas, 1979). They regularly feed on euphausiids, copepods, mysids, small fish, and amphipods. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are the archetypal euphausiid-feeding great whales. They are thought to fulfill their energetic needs by feeding on dense schools of their preferred prey, eup
April 6, 2018
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