The Balaenoptera Musculus, or blue whale, is the largest animal in the world. Blue whales have surprised scientists not only with their size and strength, but also with their success in winning the long battle against extinction that began in the 20th century. They have managed to entertain many people in different ways, ranging from movies like Finding Nemo, to simply searching and listening to whale calls on Google. The blue whale has a long, slender body that can range in shade of bluish gray. color. Its head is flat and V-shaped. A ridge runs from the blowhole to the upper lip. The front of the mouth is made up of baleen with about 300 plates (each about 3.2 feet) and there are about 70 to 118 grooves along the throat that help move water out of the mouth. Although the blue whale's dorsal fin is much smaller than the rest of the body, it is one of the blue whale's most important body parts. When scientists try to identify blue whales, they look at the dorsal fin. Each pod of whales has its own individual type of dorsal fin. In some cases, a whale may have a small lump in its dorsal fin. In contrast, another whale may have a sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Although the blue whale is large and seems easy to document, scientists also need small markers, such as the dorsal fin, to help identify specific whales. The blue whale outweighs all animals in the world (including extinct animals such as very large dinosaurs). in weight and for its large dimensions. Several organs of the blue whale are the largest in the animal kingdom. A blue whale's tongue can weigh three tons, and when the mouth is fully expanded, it can hold 99 tons of food and water. Although… halfway through the article was put into action, scientists were unable to find out whether the blue whale population had grown significantly. Since the Soviet whaling ban went into effect, the Antarctic blue whale population has grown by 7.3%. Unfortunately, the population remains less than 1% of its original number. Scientists have also suggested that the blue whale population has increased in areas around Iceland and California, however these increases are not statistically significant. The blue whale, or Balaenoptera Musculus, has managed to make itself known to humanity over the years thanks to its size, strength and perseverance in staying alive, even when its chances of survival are slim. It surpassed the largest dinosaurs in size and weight. Today it lives peacefully in the ocean, eating krill and making numerous appearances in shows and films.