Mo Ganji: Antarctic Blue Whale | Antarktischer Blauwal | Balaenoptera musculus intermedia | No. 011/250 from work group 8/99

Antarctic Blue Whale | Antarktischer Blauwal | Balaenoptera musculus intermedia

In a single, continuous line, Mo Ganji sketches a possible form of the Antarctic blue whale — the largest animal known to have ever lived on Earth. The drawing offers only a conceptual outline: a simplified presence that leaves space for interpretation while acknowledging the immense scale of the real animal.

Balaenoptera musculus intermedia is the biggest of all blue whale subspecies and reaches exceptional dimensions. Verified measurements show lengths of up to about 30 meters, with some historical records suggesting individuals slightly exceeding this. Body mass estimates for the largest Antarctic blue whales range between 150 and over 180 metric tons, with some reconstructions approaching 200 tons. No known dinosaur — not even the massive titanosaur Argentinosaurus — surpasses these weight estimates. While certain sauropods may have been longer, no species exceeds the blue whale in total body mass. Thus, the Antarctic blue whale is considered the heaviest animal in the history of life on Earth.

Once abundant in the Southern Ocean, the subspecies was driven to near extinction by industrial whaling in the 20th century and remains classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Although numbers show gradual recovery, population size is still only a small fraction of pre-whaling levels.

Today, threats include reduced krill availability linked to climate change, increasing vessel noise that disrupts long-distance communication, ship strikes, and ongoing ecological shifts in the Southern Ocean. Because the whales depend on dense krill swarms, even subtle changes in ocean temperature or ice cover can significantly affect feeding opportunities.

Ganji’s single line does not attempt to replicate this vastness; it simply gestures toward it. The minimal form becomes a quiet acknowledgement that even the largest beings exist within fragile systems — and that their continued presence cannot be taken for granted.