- Animal
- Time of year
- Area, Country or Location
- Type
- Experience
- Can see
Diving with Blue whales is very rare, they are hard to find, spending lots of their time at depth and are most commonly seen from boats or on whale watching cruises or helicopter flights.
On Dive Report we list whale and dolphin species in our animal calendar, but please be aware that with Blue Whales this does not necessarily mean that you can easily dive with them in the locations listed. We have included them as there is a chance of them being spotted from the boat in transit or between dives, which is still exciting adding to the overall dive trip experience.
Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at up to 30 meters long and upwards of 200 tons. But due to their size, these animals are difficult to weigh. Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant and their hearts, as much as an automobile! Their average life span in the wild is between 80 to 90 years.
Blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill, during certain times of the year, a single adult blue whale consumes about 4 tons of krill a day. Blue whales typically feed at depths of more than 100 meters during the day and only surface-feed at night. Dive times are typically 10 minutes when feeding. The blue whale also accidentally eats small fish, crustaceans and squid caught up with krill.
Blue whales live in all the world's oceans occasionally swimming in small groups but usually alone or in pairs. They often spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the Equator as winter arrives.
Blue whales have few predators but are known to fall victim to attacks by sharks and killer whales. Moreover, many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships. Blue whales are currently classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
More detailed information about Blue Whales can be found here.
Catalina Island, USA
Santa Catalina Island or Catalina Island is known to be a bouldery island yet great for scuba diving. From Los Angeles, Catalina Island is off 22 miles (35 km) south-southwest. Catalina is part of the Channel Islands of California Archipelago. Its beautiful...
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Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
Known as a place of sanctuary to ship wrecks and also to turtles (which are usually fairly close to the shore) there are a good variety of dive sites at Hikkaduwa. Here you can find good quality reef formations, underground caves...
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Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka
Kalpitiya is a newly emerging tourism destination in northwestern Sri Lanka. Where diving here is just as sensational as the on land beauty. With minimal developments thus far, it is a stunning coastal escape. The main attraction in Kalpitiya, are the whales...
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La Paz, Mexico
Gateway to the magnificent Sea of Cortez, with access to a diverse selection of enjoyable and exciting dive sites, La Paz is a brilliant base to experience some of the best marine life encounters in the area has to offer. La Paz,...
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Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Zanzibar is the chosen destination after climbing Kilimanjaro or as end of the trip after a dusty safari. Because of its beautiful beaches and its charming locals, Zanzibar is the right place to rest and enjoy some of the best diving the...
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Timor Leste (East Timor), Timor
As the newest country in Asia, Timor Leste has an amazing natural beauty both above and below the water which is very much unspoilt. Located in the eastern end of the archipelago making up Indonesia and just north of Australia, the...
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Weligama, Sri Lanka
Weligama translates to mean “sandy village”, in reference to the town’s sand-swept bay. Located only 2.5 hours from the capital of Sri Lanka, this area is visited for its large number of nudibranches, pinnacles, blue whales, whale sharks and manta rays. The...
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