The blue whale is the largest animal on earth and is also the loudest, but there are a lot of surprising facts about this giant mammal that you may not know. Here are some of them:

1. They are the heaviest animals on earth – weighing up to 200 tons. This is about as much as 33 elephants.

2. Their heart is the size of a small car, and their blood vessels are so big that a human could swim through them.

3. They can eat up to 4 tons of krill every day, and they filter feed through baleen plates in their mouths.

4. Despite their size, they are incredibly agile swimmers, reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

5. Their blowholes are so big that you could fit a Volkswagen Beetle inside them.

6. Blue whales can communicate with each other over distances of up to 1,000 miles using low-frequency vocalizations.

7. They can dive up to 1,500 feet deep to search for food, and they can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes at a time.

8. They are found in every ocean on earth but are most commonly spotted off the coasts of California, Mexico, and Sri Lanka.

9. Despite being so massive, they are not dangerous to humans, as they are gentle giants who primarily feed on tiny krill.

10. Sadly, blue whales were once hunted to near extinction, and it is estimated that their population was reduced by 99% before they were given protection under international law.

In conclusion, blue whales are magnificent creatures that still hold many mysteries to us. They continue to awe and inspire us as we learn more about them and strive to protect them so that future generations can also experience their magnificence.