Blue Whales Are Spotted Off the Coast in Record Numbers

Researchers with Point Blue Conservation Science stationed at the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge noticed a strange sight on June 13 when spray from blue whales suddenly appeared in every direction. After a count, they realized that a near-record 47 of these amazing creatures — some up to 87 feet long and each able to eat up to four tons of krill per day — were feeding in the area protected by the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This breathtaking shot of the largest mammal on earth was taken by a staffer that day.