Meet the largest animal that ever lived—the blue whale. What’s so great about being big? You can move faster and farther, you can avoid predators, and you can have a longer lifespan. In Part One of our four-part Giants of the Sea series, you’ll explore some of the fascinating mysteries that blue whales hold for researchers. 

Body size is one of the most important factors in determining how an organism functions and interacts with its environment. Scientists are studying the blue whale to understand how it evolved to such a large size and what lessons it might hold for protecting the species in the future.