• Question: what is the average age for a whale?

    Asked by jade.proctor to Natalie, Aaron on 18 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Aaron Boardley

      Aaron Boardley answered on 18 Nov 2015:

      Orca (killer) whales live on average for 50 years for females, or 30 years for males. The oldest ones ever recorded have been 90-100 years though.

      Blue whales, it is estimated, can live for over 80 years – although it’s a long task to track individual whales for this long.

    • Photo: Natalie Garrett

      Natalie Garrett answered on 18 Nov 2015:

      Aaron beat me to this! He’s quicker at googling than I am 😉

      There are a few different ways you can judge how old a whale is. This can be through tagging it with a radio emitter, or it could be relying on fishermen reporting on distinctive individuals that they see regularly. Alternatively, you can look at the chemicals in the eyes to age the animal.

      I would add that the oldest whales are the Bowheads, which can live to a staggering 200 years! Amazing.

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