What Could Happen If Blue Whales Disappeared As They Fall Silent And Send A Chilling Warning To Humanity

Experts warn that if blue whales were ever to go extinct, the effects could ripple through the entire ocean ecosystem in ways we might not fully understand until it’s too late.

These giants hold the title for being the largest animals to have ever lived on Earth, growing to lengths of up to 100 feet — about the same as lining up three school buses end to end.

They are also incredible eaters, often consuming as much as four tons of krill — those tiny shrimp-like creatures — every single day, which may explain why their average weight is an astounding 200 tons.

Just their tongue alone can weigh as much as a full-grown elephant, and their massive heart is roughly the size of a small car.

Today, scientists estimate there are between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales left in our oceans, but despite their numbers, something troubling is happening — they are becoming quieter and quieter.

"Once you truly start listening to how many things make sounds in the ocean, it's really amazing what you hear." said Jarrod Santora, an ecosystem oceanographer and research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, speaking to National Geographic.

What it means when blue whales go silent

Back in 2015, a team of researchers monitored whale sounds for six years during an unusual and intense marine heatwave known as “The Blob.”

This heatwave caused ocean temperatures to climb sharply, which disrupted the delicate balance of the food chain and led to a severe drop in the krill populations that blue whales depend on for survival.

If blue whales go silent it could signal issues Francois Gohier/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

To put it simply, John Ryan, a biological oceanographer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, described it as: "When you really break it down, it's like trying to sing while you're starving."

"They were spending all their time just trying to find food."

For scientists, that sudden and dramatic drop in blue whale vocalizations is more than just a curiosity — it’s a warning sign that something is going wrong beneath the waves, pointing to bigger environmental problems.

What happens if blue whales go extinct?

The Animal Welfare Institute stresses that protecting whales isn’t just about saving a species — it could also help in preserving the planet itself. However, history shows the threat they’ve faced; in the 1900s alone, over three million whales were slaughtered for their oil.

"Whale fecal plumes contain valuable nutrients like iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus." they explained. "They stimulate production of microscopic marine algae, or phytoplankton, which form the base of many aquatic food chains."

"Whales also transport nutrients in their fecal plumes, urine, sloughed skin, and placental materials horizontally, a phenomenon referred to as the 'whale conveyor belt', as they migrate between nutrient-rich feeding areas and nutrient-limited breeding/birthing areas."

Here's a 20 meter long dead Blue Whale washed ashore on Failaka Island in Kuwait on 28 February 2014 Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

If blue whales disappeared completely, countless marine ecosystems and the species that rely on them would suffer greatly. With global warming intensifying and marine heatwaves becoming more frequent, the risk of whales going silent is only increasing.

"There are whole ecosystem consequences of these marine heat waves." said oceanographer Kelly Benoit-Bird.

"If they can't find food, and they can traverse the entire West Coast of North America, that is a really large-scale consequence."