A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car
A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car, weighing about 400 pounds.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Last updated 27 September 2026 · Editorial standards
A blue whale's heart is the size of a small car, weighing about 400 pounds. At 100 feet long and 200 tons, the blue whale is the largest animal ever known. Its heart beats 4 to 8 times per minute during deep dives, slowing to conserve oxygen, then up to 25 times at the surface. Researchers tagging whales in 2019 recorded a low of 2 beats per minute. Its aorta is wide enough for a human to crawl through. That slow, massive pulse pushes 220 litres of blood per beat through a body longer than a basketball court.
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