This may seem like a strange fascination, but it is at least something I have always wondered about. I even ended up writing a short fiction story on it.
The Blue Whale is the biggest mammal on earth. It has been around since the age of the dinosaurs. They use sonar to communicate. We know almost nothing about why they do what they do. They migrate across the world. It is the loudest mammal in the world. They eat multiple tons of food a day. Why wouldn’t these creatures be fascinating?
Still, the thing that blows my mind most is how they die. I don’t mean for it to sound morbid, but thing about it. These creatures are bigger than 25 elephants, bigger than the biggest dinosaurs combined. So, these creatures that live 70 years long; how do they die?
Some speculate that they beach themselves when they are close to death. After all, fossils of blue whales have been found on land. They use to resemble pigs that must have eventually moved out to sea to bluer pastures and more krill. So, blue whales did use to live on land, millions of years ago.
Maybe they beach themselves when they know they are going to die. Perhaps they are sick, so they swim up to the beach to die where they were once born. I’m sure that some do die at sea, perhaps eaten by sharks or of sickness. Some get harpooned and some may die of old age. I’ve often wondered that about all wild mammals. How many die of old age. For instance, how many lions just lay down and die one day from being too old? After all, it seems that you will be eaten in the wild if you’re not on your guard at every second.
Blue whales. Who knows? Really, if someone has a good answer, I would love to hear it.
I think I may post my short story, just in case anyone wants to read it.
