How Long Do Whales Live?

In short, whales can have a life expectancy rate of anywhere from thirty to ninety years depending on the size and breed.

Humpback Whale - 45 to 50 years
Gray Whale - 50 to 60 years
Blue Whale - 35 to 40 years
Fin Whale - Up to 90 years
Minke Whale - Over 20 years
Sperm Whale - Over 70 years

Humpback Whale

One of the known acrobats of the ocean, the Humpback Whale grows to be approximately fifty-two feet in length and weighs in at anywhere from 30-50 tons. Its moniker is not indicative of its looks, it is, however, a description of how it arches its back out of the water when it dives.

This whale is known to have four different color schemes where the colors of white, gray and black are intermingled or mottled. While they eat a carefully planned diet consisting of krill, and plankton these whales have a life span of anywhere between forty-five and fifty years.

Gray Whale

Known primarily to whalers as “devilfish” due to their defense mechanism, the Gray Whale comes as long as fifty feet long, and weighs in at thirty-six tons. Much like its moniker, Gray Whales are indeed gray, often with blotchy white spots.

Unfortunately this whale is plagued with parasites, barnacles and whale lice. More of a bottom feeder than the other whales, Gray Whales feed on crustaceans and mollusks. Gray Whales are often prey to killer whales, large sharks and human beings. Amazingly, they have a life expectancy of fifty to sixty years.

Blue Whale

Known as the largest animal in the world, the Blue Whale is also the loudest. These whales, much like the Gray Whale, enjoy feeding on plankton and krill. The Blue Whale has bluish grayish skin with white spots on it. Due to killer whales attacking them, the Blue Whales only has a life expectancy of between thirty-five and forty years.

Fin Whale

Known as the “greyhound of the sea” the Fin Whale is the second largest animal on the planet and is known for its fast speeds in the sea. Fin whales can get as long as 72 feet and weigh in at a robust 80 tons. These whales also feed on plankton, krill and crustaceans. Fin whales can live as long as ninety years.

Minke Whale

This is type of whale is the smallest of all whales. The largest they grow is thirty feet in length and just seven and a half tons. Minke Whales have dark gray skin and white bands around each flipper. The distinguishing characteristic of the Minke Whale is that they have many visible throat grooves and are in abundance throughout the world. While these whales also eat plankton and krill, they also feed on sardines and anchovies. Their life span is just over twenty years.

Sperm Whale

One of the more popular types of whale is called a Sperm Whale. The sperm whale is known for its large brain (which weighs twenty pounds) as well as being the animal that the fictional character Moby Dick was based on. Its skin is dark grey or black and it has a small hump on its back. Sperm Whales grown as long as sixty feet and can be as heavy as fifty tons. It is the only whale where the females are smaller than the males. Sperm whales can live a little over seventy years.