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Scientists estimate that the blue whale has the potential to live up to 80 years, but since records are scanty before the whaling era this will not be confirmed for years yet. The longest recorded period that a blue whale has been monitored is for 34 years by a scientific team trying to fill in the holes in the knowledge of the life of a blue whale. The report was done in the north-east Pacific where they found that the only natural predator, other than human beings, is the orca. The study showed that a quarter of blue whales have scars resulting from orca attacks, though the mortality rate from these attacks is unknown.
The mating season for the blue whale starts in late fall and continues until the end of winter. It is hard to believe that the mating habits of the biggest animal ever are actually relatively unknown. Female blue whales tend to give birth once every two to three years and they have a gestation period of ten to twelve months. When the calf is born, it weighs about two and a half tons and is about 23 feet long. They are weaned for approximately 6 months, when it doubles in length and learns from its mother how to survive in the wilds of the ocean. Maturity occurs by age five when they are considered functioning adult members of a pod. Prince Kuhio offers tours in Maui, which has the only breeding grounds in the United States for the humpback whale. Whale season starts in December and whale watching trips run daily, weather permitting.
