blue whale life expectancy

From: Phil Clapham (pclapham@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 13 2003 - 08:48:12 EST

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    Hi Theresa:

    We dont know for sure, but we know that the closely related fin whale
    can live to over 80 years and I suspect that blue whales are very
    similar. Unfortunately, most blue whales were killed by whalers in the
    last century (369,000 in the Southern Hemisphere alone, leaving perhaps
    a thousand or so today down there), so very few whales were able to live
    out their natural lifespan.

    Phil Clapham

    Theresa Rainey wrote:
    > How long can blue whales live?
    > thank you 

    -- 

    Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D.
Large Whale Biology Program
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543, U.S.A.

    tel. 508 495-2316
fax 508 495-2066
email: pclapham@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu

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