The largest mammal that ever lived weighs more than 100 tons. What kind of animal is this?

The title of the largest animal to have ever existed on Earth belongs to this magnificent marine mammal. Far surpassing even the largest dinosaurs, a fully grown blue whale can weigh up to 200 tons and stretch nearly 100 feet in length. Their sheer scale is difficult to comprehend; they are the heaviest creatures known to science, past or present. Their immense size is only possible because of the buoyancy of the ocean, which supports a colossal weight that would be impossible for a land animal to manage.

To put their size into perspective, a blue whale's heart alone can be the size of a small car, and its tongue can weigh as much as an adult elephant. The main artery is so large that a human could swim through it. These enormous animals are baleen whales, meaning they filter their food from the water through special bristle-like plates in their mouths.

Despite their size, these gentle giants feed almost exclusively on tiny, shrimp-like creatures called krill, consuming several tons of them every single day. Hunted to the brink of extinction for their oil and blubber during the 20th century, blue whale populations are now slowly recovering thanks to international conservation efforts, though they remain an endangered species.