* Krill are tiny crustaceans: They are a primary food source for blue whales and many other marine animals.
* Filter feeding: Blue whales have baleen plates in their mouths instead of teeth. These plates are made of keratin, the same material as human hair and nails. The baleen plates act like a giant sieve, allowing them to filter out krill and other small organisms from the water.
* Open-mouth feeding: Blue whales swim through dense patches of krill with their mouths wide open, scooping up huge volumes of water.
* Expelling water: They close their mouths and push the water out through the baleen plates, trapping the krill inside.
* Swallowing: The blue whale then swallows the concentrated krill.
How much do they eat?
* A single blue whale can consume up to 4 tons (8,000 pounds) of krill per day!
* That's equivalent to about 10 million krill!
* They spend most of their time feeding, especially during the summer months when krill are most abundant.
Energy conversion:
* The krill they eat is rich in nutrients and energy.
* This energy is converted into fuel for their massive bodies, allowing them to grow, reproduce, and migrate long distances.
Other factors:
* While krill are the primary food source, blue whales can also occasionally eat small fish and squid.
* The availability of krill and other food sources can influence their feeding habits and migration patterns.
Blue whales are truly amazing creatures, with their unique feeding strategy allowing them to thrive as the largest animals on our planet.