The blue whale is a member of the baleen family of whales, while the humpback whale belongs to the cetacean suborder Mysticeti. Both belong to the mammal class Mammalia, and they are closely related members of the mammalian family Delphinidae. They are also called fin whales because of the large flippers they possess. These whales live in warm oceans around the world, including North America, South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Bermuda, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Samoa, East Timor, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, European Union, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Vatican City, Eswatini, Faroe Islands, Kosovo, Liechtenstein and Montenegro.
Comparing Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale
Blue whales are the largest animals ever recorded. They grow to lengths of over 100ft and weigh upwards of 160 tonnes. Their size makes it difficult to spot them underwater, even with scuba equipment. But there are ways to spot one. Blue whales migrate to warmer waters during winter months. This migration takes them to the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and South America. During summer months they move to colder waters such as the Arctic Ocean. In addition to migrating, blue whales travel thousands of miles each year.
Humpbacks are much smaller than blue whales, growing to lengths of around 60ft and weighing no more than 40 tonnes. They live in the temperate oceanic regions of the world. Like blue whales, humped backs migrate too. However, their migrations take place in different parts of the globe. They spend most of their lives in the Pacific Ocean, moving northwards towards Alaska and southwards down the west coast of North America. They also make trips across the equator.
Key Differences Between Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale
The blue whale grows much larger than the humpback whales. A blue whale can reach up to 30 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons, while the average size of a humpback whale is about 26 feet long and weighs around 40 tons. This makes the blue whale one of the largest creatures ever known to exist.
There are several reasons why the blue whale is considered to be bigger than the humpback whale. One reason is that the blue whale has more muscle mass than the humpback whale does. Another factor is that the blue whale produces more energy per unit volume than the humpback whale because it eats less food than the humpback whale needs.
Another difference between the two species is that the blue whale lives a little longer than the humpback whale due to genetics. Both species live for approximately 50 years, but the blue whale has been observed living up to 70 years old.
Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale: Size
The blue whale is typically longer than the humpback whale. A blue whale measures up to 100 feet long, while the typical humpback whale is about 70 feet long. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, one study found that a female blue whale measured 111 feet long, while another measured 105 feet long.
In terms of weight, the average blue whale weighs around 45 tons, while the average humpback whale weighs around 25 tons. This makes sense because of the difference in body shape. Blue whales tend to have wider bodies, giving them a broader appearance.
Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale: Appearance
The appearance of the blue whale and the humboldt humpback whale are quite similar. These two species belong to the same family and are very close relatives. They look almost identical except for one thing: the humpback whale has an extra hump on its back. This hump gives it a distinctive appearance.
The humpback whale has a dark gray body with a lighter gray underside. Its fins are blackish brown, and it has a long tail. The blue whale, however, looks different because it has a darker gray body. Its belly is white, and its fins are yellowish orange.
In terms of diet, the humpback whale feeds mostly on krill, whereas the blue whale eats mainly squid. Both species eat plankton, too.
Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale: Location and Habitat
The blue whale and the humpbacked whale are both large marine mammals, and both species are considered to be true giants among animals. They’re both members of the baleen family, meaning that they use long rows of teeth called baleen plates to filter tiny organisms out of water. These filters allow the whales to eat without having to swallow whole; however, the mouthful of seawater must pass through the baleen plate, allowing the animal to consume small amounts of water along with prey.
Both species are known for their size, but there are some differences between the two. Blue whales tend to live farther north than humpbacks do, and they spend much longer periods of time away from land. In fact, blue whales can sometimes be spotted hundreds of miles offshore, whereas humpbacks generally stick closer to shorelines and coastal areas.
Humpbacks are typically smaller than blues, though the largest humpback ever recorded weighed nearly 60 tons. Blues, meanwhile, can grow up to 30 feet long and weigh over 200 tons.
Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale: Diet
Both the blue whale and the humboldt are among the largest creatures ever to inhabit Earth’s oceans. They are also closely related species, sharing many similarities, including their feeding habits. Blue whales feed primarily on krill, whereas humpbacks prefer planktonic organisms such as copepods and euphausiids. These differences in diet allow each species to consume different types of prey, allowing them to thrive in their respective environments.
Blue Whale vs Humpback Whale: Lifespan
The differences between a humpback whale versus a blue whale are many, including how long each one lives. A humpback whale typically lives about 45 to 50 years, whereas the blue whale lives an approximately 30 to 45 years. This is due to the fact that the blue whale is much larger than the humpback whale.
There are several reasons why the blue whale is larger than the humpback. For example, the blue whale consumes more food per day than the humpback whale does. Also, the blue whale has a wider range of prey items, such as squid and fish, whereas the humpback whale mainly eats krill. In addition, the blue whale has more muscle mass than the humpback whale, which allows it to dive deeper into the ocean.
While the humpback whale does live longer, it is not always because of its size. There are many other factors that contribute to the length of the lifespan. For instance, the environment plays a big role in determining the longevity of a species. If the environment changes, the lifespan of the animal might change as well.