How Large is a Blue Whale's Heart?

The heart of a blue whale is the size of a small car. It weighs over 400 pounds and beats only 5–10 times per minute.

Compare that to a human’s 60 to 100 beats per minute; it’s like our hearts are sprinting while the whale’s just takes a slow stroll.

To push blood through a body that can stretch over 80 feet long, the whale’s heart pumps with the strength of a fire hose. In fact, a single heartbeat sends over 60 gallons of blood surging through its arteries; that’s more than a bathtub’s worth in just one thump.

Blue whales rely on a slow, steady rhythm to conserve oxygen during long, deep dives where there heart may only beat two times per minute.

Want to bring this to life?

Try this at home: Lie still and count your heartbeats for 15 seconds. Then imagine only one beat in that time. That’s the rhythm of a blue whale’s mighty heart.