Blue whales: first discovery near Seychelles in decades – what our study found

By Jeremy Kiszka, Associate Professor, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University

Blue whales are fascinating animals. At 24-30 metres in length (longer than a basketball court) they are the largest creatures on Earth. They are also among the rarest. Estimates suggest that there are only around 5,000 to 15,000 blue whales left in the world.

Their populations experienced a 89-97% decline due to commercial whaling activities worldwide that started in the North Atlantic in 1868. Blue…

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