Why is the Blue Whale So Big?
Scientist don't really know for sure, but they are sure of one thing - as big as the ancient dinosaurs were they were never as big as the blue whale is. The blue whale is the largest creature to have ever lived on earth! One of the most important reasons that whales have become so large is they have more space - more room to roam. Remember: over 70% of the earth is covered in ocean water.
Another nice thing about living in the oceans, besides all the real estate,
is the weightlessness effect of water. If you like to swim or SCUBA dive you know how it feels to be in the water - almost like floating in space. (In fact, NASA sometimes trains their astronauts inside huge tanks of water to get familiar with working in a zero-gravity environment.) It's the weightlessness of the ocean environment that allows whales to maintain such huge proportions. Instead of relying on a skeleton to support the weight of its massive bulk the buoyancy of the surrounding ocean water supports the weight of the whale's body tissues. If a blue whale were to be removed from the ocean it would smother under its own weight - a result of the effects of gravity.
is the weightlessness effect of water. If you like to swim or SCUBA dive you know how it feels to be in the water - almost like floating in space. (In fact, NASA sometimes trains their astronauts inside huge tanks of water to get familiar with working in a zero-gravity environment.) It's the weightlessness of the ocean environment that allows whales to maintain such huge proportions. Instead of relying on a skeleton to support the weight of its massive bulk the buoyancy of the surrounding ocean water supports the weight of the whale's body tissues. If a blue whale were to be removed from the ocean it would smother under its own weight - a result of the effects of gravity.
