Blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived on Earth, and while their numbers are slowly recovering from commercial whaling, they remain endangered with welfare threats from ship strikes and prey availability.
The sheer size of blue whales means that welfare events affecting individuals have significant ecological weight. Ship strikes at high speeds cause fatal injuries even to these massive animals, with some surviving strikes showing embedded propeller damage and severe internal injuries. Krill abundance declines from ocean warming and acidification reduce food availability, potentially causing nutritional stress in feeding grounds. The extreme rarity of blue whales means that every individual matters greatly to the future genetic diversity and recovery of the species.