| Blue Whales are the world's largest baleen whale, the | | | | The Costa Rica Dome offers more than just food for |
| world's largest mammal, the world's largest animal, the | | | | these giants of the ocean. The tropical water acts like |
| world's largest predator and experts believe largest | | | | an aquatic crib for many of the young of other |
| living creature to ever breathe on our planet. Scientists | | | | species of fish. In such an environment the combination |
| and oceanographers are constantly carrying out | | | | of comfort and an abundant food supply lends itself to |
| research on them in attempt to assist in the survival of | | | | being a good nursery for whales. |
| this magnificent creature. | | | | It takes weeks for the Blue Whales to reach the |
| There are nine distinct Blue Whale populations in the | | | | Costa Rica Dome after leaving California waters. |
| world. The Eastern North Pacific Blue Whale population | | | | Pregnant females arrive at the end of their last |
| estimated at a little over 2000 represents the largest | | | | trimester. After seven months the foetus of the Blue |
| remaining Blue Whale population on earth. They can be | | | | Whale is four metres long. Over the next few months |
| seen off the coast of California and they migrate from | | | | the baby blue will grow two and a half centimeters |
| north to south and back again every year. Until recent | | | | each day. |
| times one of the greatest mysteries of the sea was | | | | Experts on Blue Whales suggest that these babies are |
| where are these type of baleen whales born? The | | | | born sometime in January. A birth of a Baby Blue must |
| best way to protect them is to discover where they | | | | happen very quickly just below the surface of the |
| breed and learn what they will encounter during their | | | | ocean. A new born whale would emerge back end |
| migration. | | | | first. Fast clotting of the whales blood inhibits bleeding |
| In California, Blue Whales are often seen in pairs. | | | | as that would attract predators. Whales are mammals. |
| Scientists attach tags to lead animals as they are | | | | They are warm-blooded, have lungs rather than gills |
| suspected as females and they can track them during | | | | and they breathe air. A baby must be able to swim to |
| the winter migration south. These satellite tags lead | | | | the surface just moments after birth. |
| researchers to the places where they give birth | | | | Blue Whale infants are the largest babies in the history |
| somewhere in the tropics. One such place of choice | | | | of life on earth. They nurse for about seven months |
| for the Eastern North Pacific Blue Whale is the Costa | | | | nourishing its young with milk until they double in size. |
| Rica Dome. | | | | Their milk is very rich and is about forty percent fat. |
| The Costa Rica Dome is a phenomenon of wind and | | | | The calves drink nearly two hundred litres of milk and |
| currents. It is a thousand square kilometres of open | | | | each gain over one hundred kilograms every day. |
| ocean where cold water from the deep rises to just | | | | The time comes for the migration north and the |
| below the warm tropical surface. Wind and currents | | | | mother will take her baby to the krill beds. The mother |
| push the warm water aside to allow for the rising of | | | | swims underneath allowing the baby to rest close to |
| the nutrient rich cold water. The boundary between | | | | the surface. Blue Whales struggle to become adults |
| these temperatures represent the shape of a dome. | | | | and need ten years to reach full maturity. |
| Its position changes from year to year and is | | | | During their migration north, they will swim from |
| constantly moving. The combination of warm and cold | | | | tranquility into peril. Some of the higher density areas |
| water makes the perfect habitat for these magnificent | | | | that Blue Whales use and return through every |
| whales. | | | | summer to feed are intersecting with areas of |
| Cold water is often rich with nutrients with plankton | | | | increasing shipping traffic. This is the recipe for disaster |
| and krill which makes up nearly all of the diet of the | | | | for the whales. Ships strikes pose the biggest threats |
| Blue Whale. It takes around one metric tonne of krill to | | | | to the baby Blue Whales and the research from |
| fill a blue whales stomach and they can devour three | | | | dedicated scientists offers the best hope for new |
| and a half tonnes of these small shrimp-like | | | | shipping paths that will give whales the space they |
| crustaceans every day. | | | | need. |