Blue Whale

The Balaenoptera musculus indica, is a subspecies of the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest animal known to have existed. The blue whale is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but the threat status of the blue whales spotted in Sri Lankan waters is yet unknown, de Vos said. The blue whale can grow up to 98 ft long and weigh up to 173 tonnes. It is a blueish-grey colour with an underside of ‘sulphur’ giving rise to the nickname ‘sulphur bottom’.