Average weight the largest mammal in the world, the whale, is 150 tons. The sea giant has no rivals in its weight category, both in water and on land, however, on land, the whale would have little chance of surviving, having got to the surface, it will simply die under the weight of its own weight.

The average weight of the largest mammal in the world, the whale, is 150 tons.

The name whale comes from the Greek κῆτος, which means " sea ​​monster". Whales include all cetaceans, with the exception of dolphins and porpoises. Blue and gray giants confidently surf the oceans and seas, just like their ancestors many millions of years ago. Of the 165 suborders of whales that have ever existed on the planet, today there are 38 subspecies:

• archeocetes (ancient whales);
• mystacocetes (baleen whales);
• odonocetes (toothed whales).

Baleen and toothed whales have significant differences, both in anatomical structure and in lifestyle. In baleen whales, instead of teeth, in the oral cavity there is a series of horny plates, which are called whalebone. Through these plates, the mammal filters sea water, which contains plankton (small crustaceans and algae). This biological mass is the main diet of the whale.

Interestingly, even if the whale did not have such "teeth", it would not be able to swallow larger food, even by accident - the passage into the throat has a small diameter and is not intended for large prey.

Toothed whales are sea hunters. Their prey are octopuses, fish and some species of mammals that live in the ocean depths.

Among cetaceans, there are champions. To establish their weight, you just need a giant scale.

How much does the world's largest whale weigh?

The blue whale is the heaviest in its class and could win a gold medal if a competition for the heaviest creature on the planet was invented. The weight of the blue whale is about 200 tons, the growth of the giant is about 34 meters.

The miracle fish would break all records not only in the total weight, but also in the weight of the internal organs. The huge and noble heart of a whale weighs about 700 kg, which is equal to the weight of 2500 human hearts. Whale tongue can "grow" up to 4 tons. That is, if we weigh mammals, then 14 medium cows can be placed on one scale, and only the tongue of one blue whale will be on the second!

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Due to the fact that the whale is not a predator and its diet includes crustaceans, small fish and algae, the whale has to constantly filter water through the whalebone in order to saturate its body. This laborious process is bearing fruit - the height and weight of the blue whale are impressive. Against the background of the giant, his fellow predator, the killer whale, which hunts seals and other marine mammals, weighs "only" nine tons, with a ten-meter height.

Blue, the whale is called not quite correctly. The color of the mammal is closer to gray and has a slightly bluish tint. Blue, the whale seems when you look at it through the water column. The belly and fins have a lighter color and differ from the main color of the skin. Therefore, when talking about blue whales and blue whales, we are talking about the same mammal, so the weight of a blue whale is equal to the weight of a blue whale.

The life span of mammals is about a hundred years. Whales “grow up” slowly, the female whale brings the first offspring at the age of ten, the gestation of the cub lasts about a year. Babies appear no more than once every two years. It is difficult to call a newborn whale a baby - its weight is about three tons. In human terms, this is the weight of a thousand newborn babies. A newborn kitten will not be capricious and complain, for one feeding he drinks about a hundred liters of milk, and therefore the baby grows by leaps and bounds.

The habitat of a heavyweight can be both warm tropical waters and rather cold waters of the polar seas.

How much does a white whale weigh?

There is a theory that whales once lived on land, and moved to the water after some kind of adverse conditions for life. Certain facts serve as arguments in favor of such an assumption:

• whales have a special skeletal structure, different in shape from the skeleton of fish;
• mammals do not breathe with gills, like all fish;
• baby whales are born fully formed and feed on mother's milk.

The name of whales depends on the color of their skin. The white whale or beluga whale is much smaller than its large counterparts, blue whales, its weight is about two tons, they grow up to six meters. We can say that the weight of an adult beluga whale is equal to the weight of a newborn blue whale.

The color of the skin of a white whale from birth is almost blue, by one year it darkens and turns gray, and only by the age of five does the beluga whale acquire a marble-white hue.

The appearance of a white whale also has its own characteristics: the head of a mammal is quite convex, and the front fins are short.

The white whale feeds on schooling fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Lives for about forty years. Killer whales, hunter whales and polar bears pose a danger to him, when the beluga whale is squeezed among the ice, she has to surface every two minutes to get some air, she becomes their easy prey.

How much does a humpback whale weigh?

Another representative of the cetacean suborder, the humpback whale, got its name because of the fin on its back, which resembles a hump in shape, or because it arches its back when swimming.

The largest individuals of humpback whales reach a length of 17-18 meters, but they are not common. The usual sizes of mammals:

• the length of male humpback whales is 13.5 - 14 meters;
• the length of the female humpback whale is about 13 meters.

The average weight of an animal is about 30 tons. Humpback whales also differ in that they have a significant layer of subcutaneous fat. The fat reserve serves as a nutritional reserve during the wintering period. The coloration of mammals is different, therefore, to identify the animal, attention is paid to the color of the lower surface of the caudal fin, which the whale puts out of the water during deep vertical diving.

Humpback whales are interesting because they can sing, and the performance can be both solo and choral.

This ability of mammals is inherent only in whales and humans. Males are endowed with vocal abilities, the performance of one composition can take from 6 to 35 minutes. The sound range of performers ranges from 40 to 5000 Hz.

Sea giants differ from other mammals not only appearance but also habits. Whales can go without sleep for a hundred days, throughout their lives they constantly “listen”, since their eyesight and sense of smell are rather poorly developed. Marine life has its own identifier - the tail fin, each whale has a special pattern. Mammals are able to starve, if there is not enough food, then the whale can limit itself to food for up to a hundred days. Such a diet has little effect on the weight of the animal, the weight of the whale does not decrease to critical levels due to the presence of a thick fat layer. The average weight of an animal remains stable as the mammal reaches adulthood. Every year, the population of blue giants is rapidly declining, the fault is a man who uncontrollably exterminates animals, so the future of these majestic and unusual animals is solely in the hands of people.

A whale is a mammalian marine animal belonging to the phylum chordates, the order of cetaceans. From the Greek language, the whale is translated as a sea monster.

Appearance description

It is hard to imagine, but the ancestors of all types of whales are artiodactyl animals that lived on land. Outwardly, the whale looks like a fish, but today the closest animal to it is the hippopotamus. Whales and hippos have the same ancestors who lived on Earth 54 million years ago.

The whale is considered the largest mammal on the planet. Its weight and dimensions depend on species affiliation. The largest size and weight of blue whales is 33 m and 150 tons. The smallest parameters for a dwarf species are 4-6 m and 3-3.5 tons.

The whale is warm-blooded, it can maintain a constant temperature of its body, regardless of external conditions. A significant layer of fat helps not to overcool. The normal body temperature for a whale is 35-40°C.

Breathing takes place with the help of the lungs. In order to breathe air, the whale must rise to the surface. Whales can stay under water for 10-40 minutes, and sperm whales - all 90 minutes.

The air that these animals exhale has a higher temperature than the surrounding air. Because of this, a fountain is formed, which is a condensate column, the parameters of which depend on the species.

The body of the whale looks like a drop, which contributes to the least resistance of water when moving.

A powerful head is completed by a narrow, blunt or, on the contrary, pointed beak - the rostrum. The nostrils (breathers) are located closer to the parietal region. The whale has an insignificant eye size in comparison with the body - only 10-17 cm in diameter. The weight of the eyeballs is not more than 1 kg.

The anatomical structure provides for teeth, but in some species of whales they are not developed, instead of them there are bone plates (whalebones). Toothy species have cone-shaped teeth of the same size.

The vertebral column of a whale consists of 41-98 vertebrae. The skeleton is elastic, has a spongy structure. This contributes to the ability to make maneuverable and plastic movements.

The whales do not have a neck as such, the head immediately passes into the body, tapering towards the tail. Instead of pectoral fins - flippers. With their help, the animal can turn and slow down.

The flattened tail is flexible and muscular. At its end there are horizontal blades. In many species of whales, an unpaired fin is located on the back to stabilize the position of the body when moving.

Whale skin does not have hairs. Only whiskered species can boast short single hairs, similar to vibrissae.

Whales can be solid, spotted or 2-colored. Separate types change the color of their skin as they grow older.

Whales have a poorly developed sense of smell, taste, and vision. Whales are the only animals in the world that have a conjunctiva. Hearing in whales is excellently developed. They also have an excellent sense of touch. Whales do not have vocal cords, but this does not create a problem in communicating with each other. They can make a special sound.

Whales move quite slowly, but can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. Whales live on average 30 years, but some species live up to 50.

Whale Habitat

The habitat of whales is all four oceans. These animals live in herds. Groups of whales can number in the thousands. Some species migrate seasonally.

Diet

All cetaceans, with the exception of killer whales, prefer to feed on plankton, various mollusks, fish, and decomposed organic matter.

Killer whales eat, in addition to fish, various pinnipeds, other cetaceans, and dolphins.

whale species

To date, biologists divide all cetaceans into two groups: baleen (toothless) and toothed whales. The latter include dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales, porpoises. Below are photos of large whales.

38 genera of cetaceans include more than 80 species. The most popular are humpback, gray, blue, bowhead, pygmy whales, sperm whales, fin whales.

How whales breed

Almost all cetaceans are monogamous. A female whale has a calf once every 2 years. Childbearing age begins at the age of 3, and full physical maturation occurs by the age of 12.

Whales have a long mating season. The female bears a cub for 7-18 months - it depends on her species.

Births take place during the summer. Some species migrate to warm waters to breed.

A whale can only give birth to one cub at a time. Its weight is 2-3 tons, and the length is 2-4 times less than the mother's. Feeding occurs in the water column for 4-7 months. The sperm whale feeds the cub for 13 months. Whale milk is very fatty and high in calories.

Since ancient times, the economic importance of cetaceans for people has been great. Whale oil was used to make glycerin, soap and margarine.

The spermacetiform substance contained in the head of the sperm whale is used in cosmetology. Whalebone was used for corsets.

The production of insulin is based on the use of a secret secreted by the pancreas of whales. It is also used to make other medicines. Amber extracted from whales is used by perfumers.

Uncontrolled whaling has caused many species to almost disappear. Today, whales are in the Red Book and their killing is prohibited by law in many states.

Photos of whales

The blue whale is the largest whale, the largest modern animal, and also probably the largest of all animals that have ever lived on Earth. Its length reaches 33 meters, and its weight can significantly exceed 150 tons. It can eat up to 40 million small crustaceans per day.

Let's find out more about it...

This is truly a huge animal, just a giant. Previously, its range was from the Antarctic to the Arctic. Whaling nearly wiped out the blue whale. Today it is listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia.

Once upon a time, blue whales plied all the oceans of the world; and it is estimated that there were up to 250,000 of these creatures in Antarctica alone. However, for last years ruthless fishing left less than 1% of the figure above. It is very difficult to determine the total number of these huge animals, so the size of the Antarctic blue whale population, according to modern estimates, ranges from a few hundred to 11,000. But whatever the exact figure, it in any case seems dangerously low compared to the number that existed before.

Want to VIRTUALLY VIEW a whale in every detail? CLICK HERE

However, the largest whale in the world has not only huge body sizes. He's just incredibly big. internal organs. And only one language weighs so much that it is hard to imagine: 4 thousand kilograms. Well, the heart of a blue whale weighs about 700 kilograms. However, such an impressive size for the ocean is not uncommon. Few people know that back in 1870, the largest jellyfish was found near the coast of North America. Medusa Tsyanei in length was more than 35 meters. To better visualize its size, you can compare it with the height of a 9-story building.

When a small whale is born (or more precisely, on the water), it already weighs about three tons. The length of the cub is comparable to a small tree - 6-7 meters. For a person, these are already unimaginable dimensions, it is difficult to imagine a living creature of such dimensions. Every year the whales only grow, moreover, the small whale stretches with high speed. At the same time, whales, according to various sources, can live up to a hundred years. However, despite the active growth and life expectancy, whales produce offspring very slowly. Females of the largest whale in the world reach puberty only by the age of ten, and they give birth no more than once every two years. Mammals, unlike humans, carry a fetus for about 12 months. Despite such circumstances, now powerful and noble mammals are being destroyed mercilessly.

Photo 2.

And they do it at such a speed that blue whales do not even have time to reach their maternal age, that is, they die in childhood. The largest whales are now not so abundant in the oceans, their population is decreasing exponentially. They are now on the verge of extinction. In Japan, for example, fishing is so active that there are practically no whales left there. Initially, the number of blue whales (this was before the start of intensive fishing) was estimated at 215 thousand individuals. But it is rather difficult to calculate the current livestock. And the reason is quite simple. For many decades, these mammals have not been studied very actively. According to the data for 1984, no more than 1900 whales live in the Northern Hemisphere, and more in the Southern Hemisphere - about 10 thousand heads. True, half of them are dwarf subspecies. Now, according to some reports, there are no more than 2 thousand blue whales in the entire world ocean. True, according to other experts, the figures are more optimistic - at least 8 thousand individuals.

Photo 3.

However, blue whales can die not only from human hands. A mammal can also become a victim of its marine neighbors. You might think that in adult whales, due to their gigantic size, natural enemies No. However, they can still fall under the disfavor of killer whales. The latter gather in flocks, tear apart blue whales and eat them. And cases of attacks have already been registered. So, in 1979, a flock of 30 killer whales attacked a young blue whale.

Killer whales rushed at their prey, tore off pieces from it. Moreover, the attackers did not even make out where to bite - in the head, sides or back. And in 1990, two large whales were described that were seen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They had scars in the form of parallel stripes, judging by them, teeth marks of killer whales were left on mammals.

Photo 4.

The color of the blue whale, surprisingly, is not blue, but mostly gray, but with a blue tint. And they called the blue mammal because when you look at a whale through the water, it seems to be blue, well, or blue. At the same time, the fins and belly of the animal are lighter than the rest of the body. Blue whales live in both warm and cold waters. These are polar and tropical seas. The creatures do not have teeth, but despite this, they feed on all small marine life, for example, plankton or small fish. For food, the largest whale in the world has a "whalebone". This is a device that looks more like a brush or a huge sieve. It is able to pass through itself elements unnecessary for nutrition, and in addition, filter water. A blue whale cannot eat a person, even if he really wants to. Therefore, the mammal is considered almost safe for humans. However, an inhabitant of the seas and oceans can easily turn over a medium-sized water vessel, and not on purpose, but simply by accidentally hitting it.

Photo 5.

There is a theory that whales entered the water from land. As proof of this - the structural features of the skeleton of a mammal, which does not really resemble a fish. The blue whale even has finger brushes on its fins. Moreover, the blue whale does not lay eggs or spawn, it produces already living organisms.

It is worth noting that whales have a very poor sense of smell and vision. Therefore, the largest whale in the world communicates with its fellow tribesmen exclusively with the help of sounds. And in order for other mammals to hear the cry, the whale has to invest up to 20 hertz in the message. And this is enough to transmit information over a great distance - individuals are able to hear each other at a distance of up to 800 kilometers and even more. However, if the whale overdoes it and shouts with more or less force, then the brethren will not hear it. Yes, and whales are not capable of understanding someone. For the most part, these mammals are loners. The blue whale, as a rule, does not form herds. But sometimes mammals still gather in groups, but they are not numerous, only 2-3 heads. Only where there is a lot of food, you can find large accumulations. However, even in such groups, blue whales keep apart from each other.

Photo 6.

The mammal is not as agile as other large cetaceans. Whale movements are slow and clumsy. And they are active only in the daytime, this is evidenced by the fact that, for example, off the coast of California, individuals stop their movements at night. In general, the life of blue whales at night is still little studied.

Photo 7.

Blue whales swim in groups of 2 or 3, and sometimes alone. He tries not to swim to the shore. Several groups may gather in places of accumulation of plankton. The speed of the blue whale is 9-13 km / h. If the whale is frightened or runs away, then it develops a speed of 25 km / h, and releases small fountains every 30 seconds.

The blue whale dives for 10-12 minutes, if the condition is calm. After a long and deep immersion, it first appears on the surface of the blowhole, on the top of the head. The small dorsal fin is visible when the front of the whale is already underwater. After the fountain, the whale arches its back. Blue whale, the caudal fin usually does not show, but strongly exposes the caudal peduncle in a semicircle

Photo 8.

The blue whale has an elongated, slender bluish-gray, flat on the side, body with gray spots of various sizes and shapes. The back and sides of a light color, lighter than the general tone. And the head and jaw are dark in color. The head has the shape of an angle of 45 °, wide from above. The pectoral fins are narrow, pointed and long. The caudal fin is wide, with pointed edges. The blue whale has about 60 submandibular throat folds.

Whales are extremely hardy. It can be in motion for many days without a single stop. But despite the strength they need constant human help to survive.

Photo 9.

During the day, the blue whale eats about 1 ton of krill (that's about 1 million calories), which basically feeds on it. The whale swallows the krill, along with thousands of liters of water, swimming through its accumulations, and then filters it by pushing all this mass with its tongue through the whalebone. By the way, the tongue of a blue whale weighs more than an elephant, and the thickness is more than 3 meters.

female pregnancy blue whale lasts 11 months. Offspring are brought once every three years. One whale weighing up to 3 tons and up to 7 meters long is born in the water. It feeds on fatty (42%) and thick mother's milk for about seven months. The kitten receives a portion of milk by contraction of the mother's muscles. In one day, the cub drinks over 600 liters of milk. The baby is growing literally by leaps and bounds. During the day, she gains weight up to 100 kg, and the length of the kitten increases by 4 cm. Wow, baby! A loving mother is always there, touchingly takes care of her child. When the plates of the whalebone are fully developed, the grown whale itself is able to swallow food. This usually happens at the age of seven months.

Photo 10.

Blue whales are almost completely blind and devoid of smell, so the only way they use to study the world around them is echolocation using sounds. Whales spend a huge amount of time analyzing sound signals from outside, which is facilitated by the structure of the animal's skull. In front of the head of the animal is a sound-reproducing system, which serves as a lens that reproduces and captures sounds. The famous songs of blue whales, reaching 188 decibels, are most often associated with the breeding season. Males usually “sing”, but sometimes females also “sing” to their children (you can listen to the songs of blue whales below). With the help of echolocation, individuals can communicate with each other, even at a distance of up to 1600 km from each other.

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The official teenage suicide statistics in Russia are frightening. Of the 100 thousand people, 16 commit suicide. And these are only those who did not have time to stop and save. Another wave of suicides associated with the mysterious game "Blue Whale" forced not only the parents of teenagers to react, but also government agencies. In this article, we will answer the most popular questions regarding the Blue Whale game.

What is a Blue Whale?

At the moment, the story with death groups has reached its climax: mass mailing SMS and messages on social networks warning parents about possible group suicides do not solve the problem, but only contribute to the spread of panic.

"Blue Whale" - game, which became popular in the social network Vkontakte. This is one of the many groups that publish depressing and shocking materials: photos, videos, audio and short demotivating texts. The name is directly related to the sad natural phenomenon - the mass death of whales, which are thrown ashore on their own.

An example of a search result for the query "blue whale" in the social network VKontakte

The creators of the community made a connection between this act, which modern scientists cannot explain, and the suicide of teenagers. The call to end one's own life sounds in different formulations and is served in a playful way.

Various social media death groups

Now find in the social. It is rather problematic for an active group in the network, since the administration strictly monitors the emerging information and tries to promptly block all communities that promote suicide. But still, every day there are new groups "Blue Whale" and "Wake me up at 4.20" with different variations in the name. The infamous f57 group, which attracted attention in connection with the death of the girl Rina, is no less popular.

This is what most suicidal groups on VKontakte look like now

Not all bands with similar names condone committing suicide! Mention must be made of the Anti-Blue Whale movement and others like it. Activists thus try to attract the attention of adolescents and provide them with support in difficult situation. Project "Your Territory" is aimed at reducing mortality among adolescents, and qualified psychologists are ready to help in a difficult life situation.

The most popular groups on the social network Vkontakte were "Blue Whale", "f57" and "Wake me up at 4.20". Despite the claims of the creators that it was all a joke or a way to identify "problem children who need help," it was these communities that spread information about the game and gave out numbers to their subscribers.
After the suicide of Rina Palenkova (Renata Kambalina), information appeared on the Internet that she was a member of the f57 group, and this was the reason for her act.

Rina Palenkova - the first victim of the Blue Whale game

The rumor that the girl was the first "whale" contributed to the rapid development of the community and attract many subscribers. Rina had followers and admirers, and many teenagers perceived her death in a positive way. The last entry on the personal page of the girl “Nya.poka” was actively reposted, increasing the popularity of the Blue Whale group, little known at that time, on Vkontakte.

Last photo of Rina Palenkova before suicide

Photo from the scene of Rina Palenkova's suicide

Despite the activity of the administration, volunteers and law enforcement agencies, if you wish, you can find active groups by searching the Internet for the query “blue whale group VK” or in the social network itself. Most of these communities are closed, access can only be obtained after the approval of the application by the head. You can't just get into small groups just like that.

There are also groups that attract subscribers by choosing similar names, however, they have nothing to do with the game. For example, razbudi menya ⚡, aimed at teenagers, emphasizes that the name did not appear by chance. The description of the community states "they say that this public drives teenagers crazy", which is a direct reference to the pre-existing "Wake me up at 4.20" group.

Communities with this name still exist today. But almost all contain information that the group has nothing to do with any games and condemns suicide. The creators openly state that they are "trying to attract people." In the struggle for popularity and subscribers, community leaders often use "dirty" tricks, attracting the audience with all possible ways including prohibited content.

Group "Blue Whale" in VK

A variety of communities "about whales" began to actively multiply in social networks after the death of Rina. The creator of such groups was a young man hiding behind the nickname “Sea of ​​​​Whales”. It was he who began to distribute numbers to subscribers and communicate with them in personal correspondence on the topic of suicide. The young man claims that all his actions were not aimed at promoting suicide among teenagers, but against it.

In his words, the Blue Whale is a suicidal group only on the outside, but in fact a specially created community where people could find help. However, the case is still under investigation and no charges have been filed. The Sea of ​​​​Whales claims that it is not he who is responsible for the deaths of teenagers, but the creator of the Blue Whale game and the f57 group Philip Lis (currently detained and under investigation).

Philip Lis - the creator of the first "groups of death"

Who Invented the Blue Whale Game?

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) have become very popular among young people. Usually they are built on performing various tasks, solving riddles and solving puzzles. The ability to contact the fictional world through the real one (for example, send an SMS to the main villain and get an answer) gives new sensations, excites interest.

The investigation still has not established who invented the Blue Whale game, however, according to all the information available in the public domain, it was Philip Lis who started the deadly entertainment of teenagers. The young man admitted that he wanted fame and did not think about the consequences of his actions. Entering into correspondence with teenagers "whales", he lured them into his group and, like the "Sea of ​​​​Whales", conducted personal correspondence, assigning certain numbers to users. Only now the Fox did not seek to dissuade them from suicide, but escalated the situation.

There are people, and there is bio-waste. These are those who are of no value to society and bring or will bring only harm to society. I cleansed our society of such people. Started in 2013. Then I created F57. Just created, see what happens. I uploaded shock content there, it started to attract people. In 2014, she was banned. I laughed for a long time when I saw how everyone was trying to understand what “F57” meant. Everything is simple. F - Philip, my name. 57 - the last digits of my then number. I've been thinking about the idea for five years. You could say I was getting ready. I thought over the concept of the project, specific levels and stages. It was necessary to separate the normal from the bio-garbage.

A flash mob imitating mass suicide was also used to attract attention. By prior arrangement, the students simulated the passage of a certain quest with the completion of tasks and their own death. To do this, photos of cut veins were uploaded to the Internet, etc. The participants of the action had to not appear on social networks for more than a month, which confirmed the reality of their death for the community.

There is another guess about who created the blue whale game and why. According to her, one of the quests in the alternate reality had to end by a certain date. If the player did not have time to solve all the puzzles and complete the tasks before this time, then his punishment was an imitation of suicide. It was this harmless idea that degenerated into a suicidal action.

And yet, whatever the initial motives of the leaders of the games, no one expected such an outcome. An unsuccessful joke and a thirst for attention turned into a real tragedy.

An alternative version of the creation of the Blue Whale game

Many users social networks We are convinced that one mentally ill guy could not create a powerful machine that breaks human destinies. Moreover, the Blue Whale game is often promoted according to classic viral marketing schemes.

Many people began their own investigation and, starting from principle Cui prodest?, believe that the government and people in the highest echelons of power who are interested in establishing control over social networks and the Internet in general are involved in this. The abrupt introduction of controls and bans can negatively affect the rating of the government, so a scheme was developed according to which people themselves will ask for the introduction of measures against freedom on the web.

Recall that last year the government approved, which caused a lot of negative comments about its creators.

How to start playing Blue Whale game?

The mechanics of this game are quite simple. To understand how to start playing blue whale You don't need to have special knowledge. It is enough just to declare your desire with the help of certain code words, which are indicated through a hashtag on social networks. You can become a player simply by joining a group, but the chances of being noticed in this case are much less.

It is necessary for the future player to draw attention to himself, otherwise he will not be able to join the game, because there is no access to the tasks themselves. Only after communicating with the curator can a teenager start moving towards his goal (and in this game, the end point is death). It is difficult to determine on what basis the curators choose their victims. Perhaps they analyze the user's video and audio recordings, his saved pictures and photos, statuses and activity in the group.

After correspondence with the teenager, the curator begins to give him tasks, moving from simple to complex. The game is designed for 50 days, for each of which a test was invented. There is no division into male/female, "Blue Whale" makes the same requirements for all participants, however, it allows individual tasks. Among all 50 tasks, they stand out as simple and harmless (draw a whale on a piece of paper, not talk all day, change status to #yakit), and those associated with a threat to health and life (cut your hands, stand on the edge of the roof of a tall building, etc.).

Rules of the game "Blue Whale"

The rules of the Blue Whale game are laconic:

• do not talk about the game;
• obey the curator;
• complete all tasks;
• provide evidence of completed tasks (photo or video);
• die at the end.

At the same time, exiting the death quest, even in the early stages, is strictly prohibited. Moreover, curators openly threaten players with the death of loved ones.

Curators openly threaten the death of loved ones

It is worth knowing that it was precisely because of the threats to kill their parents that many teenagers remained in the game and continued to follow the instructions received on social networks. A sense of responsibility for their actions and constant fear led to sad consequences. While playing Blue Whale, the teenagers did not violate the above rules, which is why those around them did not know about the plans of teenagers to commit suicide.

How to find a Blue Whale curator

When the movement was just starting, curators responded to every request. Thanks to the work of law enforcement agencies and "anti-whales", the number of people distributing tasks has sharply decreased. Therefore, many teenagers do not know how to find the Blue Whale curator, and simply indicate in the status keywords and publish themed poems on their page.

Photos that can be found on the pages of teenagers

Many look for Blue Whale curators in related groups, and sometimes even in communities dedicated to combating suicide propaganda. Teenagers leave their applications and wait for a response in private messages, as well as subscribe to users who promise to give a task.

"Blue whale" - verse

The poetic form of addressing curators quickly gained popularity among teenagers. The form and content change insignificantly from user to user, but the words "Blue Whale" remain unchanged. The death group is replenished with new members using the following message:

The blue whale has arrived
led me into the silent sea.
Milky sky and home
In which there is not a living soul.
They waited for me for a long time
I'm in the game, so everyone will be hurt.

The following option is also popular:

The blue whale has arrived
Into the silent blue sea.
Eastern sky and home
In which there is no grief.
Many years later,
When I felt bad
Right now I know
That with a whale I will be free.

At the same time, teenagers actively use emoji and highlight the words “blue whale”. The verse usually ends with a call-to-action for the curator "Keith unsubscribe" and a combination of several hashtags, including #seekcurator.

Hashtags "Blue Whale"

Hashtags are unique in that they tag specific posts, making it easy to find related posts. Players use words with the # symbol to attract the attention of curators and receive invitations and assignments. Social media administrators and workers special services such marks are used to find communities that promote suicide.

Teenagers try to find curators on social media

There are many options for designations, but the following have become popular: #f56, #yakit, #want_to_game, #quiethouse, #yasiniykit, #wakemeat420, #waitinginstructions, #whalesfloatup, #f59, #receiveplay/.

Be careful! Having found the hashtags "Blue Whale" and so on in the message of a familiar person, be sure to find out his motives and condition. Communicate information to others to save a person's life.

How to understand that a child is in the game - the main signs?

The parents, agitated by the media, are actively trying to find out what the "Blue Whale" means, a group of death, what kind of game drives teenagers to suicide. They strive to understand all the subtleties in order to protect their own children from death. A huge number of TV programs have already been released about the Blue Whale game. The most popular of them:

Male / Female - Beware: "Blue Whale"! Part 1. Issue dated 03/02/2017

Male / Female - Beware: "Blue Whale"! Part 2. Issue dated 03/03/2017

The danger of this game is that it is sometimes almost impossible to recognize the problem. The child can lead a normal life, go to school and get good grades. Only a close and trusting relationship with parents will help to catch changes in the mood of a teenager.

Nevertheless, some signs can be distinguished:

• isolation and unsociableness;
• desire to spend more time on social networks;
• communication in social networks with unknown people;
• wakefulness at 4.20 (at this time you need to complete some tasks);
• the appearance of cuts and scratches (especially on the limbs);
• whale drawings.

If parents have suspicions, then experts recommend discreetly viewing the child's correspondence on social networks and his search queries. He may not yet know how to start playing the Blue Whale game, but he is already striving for it. Below is the popular song "Whales die in puddles of gasoline":

Don't lock yourself in your shirt, breathe deep
I know that I'm superfluous, and I'm not the one who needs
I'll be just a memory, stage or stage
And by the way, we'll probably die together.

We will be buried behind the entrances of five-story buildings,
They will even open a 24-hour flower shop nearby.

It is important to remember that total control and constant checking of a teenager’s personal belongings will not lead to anything good. In adolescence, any pressure from parents is perceived aggressively. Feeling an invasion of privacy, a teenager may commit suicide out of fear or protest.

Having found information about what the "Blue Whale" is in the social. networks, many parents tried to deal with the problem on their own. But if a teenager is already involved in a suicidal game, then unqualified help can lead to tragedy. The best option in this situation is seek help from a good psychologist. A professional will be able to influence the child's behavior as accurately as possible, assess his problems and difficulties, and analyze their source.

A radical, but no less effective way to get a teenager out of the game is to take him to the sea or to the mountains, depriving access to the Internet and smartphone. At the same time, the important factor is not the lack of social networks, but the opportunity to have fun and interesting time with your family and / or friends, to enjoy life. Such a trip will help the teenager to come to his senses, to give up thoughts of suicide.

Consequences of the Blue Whale Game

No matter how hard volunteers and special services workers try, the number of suicides continues to grow. Blue Whale is a game with terrifying consequences. So on February 26 in the city of Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk region, two ninth-graders committed suicide at once. Schoolgirls jumped from the 12th floor, while they were filmed for reporting to the curator.

A similar tragedy occurred on March 8 in Chisinau, a guy and a girl aged 16 and 15 also jumped from a high-rise building.

In the Ulyanovsk region for Lately two suicides occurred at once: on February 26, a 16-year-old boy committed suicide by throwing himself out of a window; on March 5, a ninth grader hanged herself.

List of Blue Whale victims

https://vk.com/id332118075 - dropped from the 20th floor
http://vk.com/virgovirgo - jumped off the bridge
https://vk.com/id155358160 - jumped off the roof
https://vk.com/tsukiyama_sensei - swallowed pills
http://vk.com/stegantsova2013 - lay down under the train
http://vk.com/id372809024 - jumped from the roof
https://vk.com/id380412555 - went out the window
https://vk.com/id174337054 - went out the window
https://vk.com/id378883647 - went out the window
http://vk.com/id157347605 - dropped from the 9th floor
http://vk.com/id378697857 - hanged herself
http://vk.com/sancous2000.com2000 - hanged himself
http://vk.com/id140614511 - jumped from the 9th floor
http://vk.com/id177173329 - hung himself
https://vk.com/id71963722 - hanged herself
http://vk.com/id212695233 - hanged herself
https://vk.com/id192916909 - hanged herself
http://vk.com/id.du10000 - jumped off the roof
http://vk.com/id303115542 - lay down under the train
http://vk.com/ulia_0101 - jumped from the ninth floor
https://vk.com/id195892473 - suicide
https://vk.com/id357060259 - jumped from the 9th floor
http://vk.com/id323403881 - poisoned by pills
http://vk.com/id224228141 - suicide
http://vk.com/perryanna - suicide
http://vk.com/id152703853 - cut the veins
http://vk.com/arturmalakhov - hanged himself
http://vk.com/id217707863 - jumped out of the window
https://vk.com/id141637091 - suicide
https://vk.com/id101834007 - jumped from the eighth floor
https://vk.com/id362667601 - hanged herself
https://vk.com/id223691896 - hanged herself
https://vk.com/id180025121 - jumped from the 16th floor
http://vk. com/id384894650 - hanged himself

We will be grateful if you help spread reliable information about the "death groups" to your relatives and friends!

baleen whales

Blue whale. The largest animal on the planet. It can reach a length of 33 m and a mass of 150 tons. Cubs are born with a length of 6 to 8.8 m and a weight of 2-3 tons. Blue whales are found in almost all areas of the oceans, with the exception of the tropical zone. In the Northern Hemisphere, they winter in the latitudes of Southern Japan, California, North Africa, Caribbean Sea. In the Southern Hemisphere, animals spend the winter at the latitudes of Australia, Peru, South Africa, and Madagascar. In summer, blue whales prefer the cool waters of the Antarctic, North Atlantic, Bering and Chukchi Seas. Fishing has been banned since 1965.

Fin whale. The second largest whale found in the oceans. The maximum length reaches 29 m. The mass of adult animals is usually about 50 tons. A characteristic external species feature of the fin whale is the asymmetry in the color of the lateral part of the head: the lower right jaw is a quarter white, like the belly, and on the left side it is all dark, like the head.

Fin whales live almost everywhere, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, excluding the equator zone. Even in winter, they do not descend south of 30°N. and do not rise north of 20-25 oS. There are more fin whales in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. IN Russian waters minke whales of this species are found most often in the Bering and Chukchi seas, less often in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and Japan, very rarely in the Barents and White. In addition, several cases of fin whales entering the Kara and Baltic Seas were noted. Fishing is prohibited.

Seiwal (saidian whale). The third largest whale in the oceans. the average length in the Northern Hemisphere is 13-14 m, in the Southern - 14.6-15.5 m, and the maximum - 18 and 19 m, respectively. Females begin to bring 4-5-meter cubs from the age of 10 years.

This species of minke whales also lives everywhere, but unlike blue whales and fin whales, it prefers warmer temperate latitudes and does not penetrate far into the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere. In the Pacific Ocean, it is distributed from the island of Taiwan and the coastal waters of South Japan to the northern part of the Bering Sea. In the Atlantic, sei whales live from the Canary Islands and the coast of Florida to the northern coasts of Norway, Svalbard, Iceland, Labrador and Newfoundland, sometimes entering the Mediterranean Sea. In the Southern Hemisphere, in contrast to the Northern Hemisphere, sei whales reach the ice edge encircling the ice continent. The fishery is limited.

Small minke whale (minke minke). The smallest representative of the minke whale family, 7-10 m long and weighing 7-9 tons . Often has a white transverse stripe on the pectoral fins. Widely distributed in temperate and cold waters of the oceans. In the Southern Hemisphere it is found everywhere in these zones, and in the Northern Hemisphere it prefers the Pacific Ocean: the Chukchi Sea, up to the ice zone; East China, Yellow, Japan, Okhotsk and Bering Seas, waters of Japan, the Kuril and Aleutian Islands, the coast of the USA and Canada. In the North Atlantic, minke whales are found from the Mediterranean Sea and the coast of Florida to Labrador, Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, as well as up to 70 o N. on the east coast of Greenland, near the island of Svalbard, in the Norwegian, North, Barents, White and Kara Seas. The fishery is limited.

Humpback whale (humpback). The most exotic of the minke whale family. With a body length of up to 18 m, it is distinguished by huge 4-5-meter tuberous pectoral fins, a dorsal fin in the form of a hump and a head covered with three to five rows of large warts.

It is distributed throughout the World Ocean from the Arctic to the Antarctic, migrates in the coastal zone in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean from the Chukchi Sea to the coasts of California and Mexico, from Alaska and Kamchatka to Taiwan. In the North Atlantic, humpback whales are found from Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya to Northwest Africa and the Cape Verde Islands, as well as from Greenland and Iceland to the Antilles. In the Southern Hemisphere, these whales migrate from the Antarctic coast north to Chile and Peru, Angola, Congo, Madagascar and New Zealand. Fishing for humpback whales has been banned since 1963.

Bowhead whale. The fattest representative of the order of cetaceans. It reaches a length of 15-18 m (sometimes up to 21 m), a mass of 150 tons. The head is 1/3 of the body length. The dorsal fin is absent. Adheres to surface layers of water. Floating up, within 1-3 minutes "exhales" up to 12 bifurcated fountains, and then dives again for 5-10 minutes. Females bring one cub every 3-6 years. It lives in Arctic waters in three local herds: near the island of Svalbard in the Barents Sea, off the western coast of Greenland, in the North Pacific Ocean in the Bering, Chukchi, Okhotsk Seas and in the Beaufort Sea. Up to 25-30 tons of fat are obtained from one whale.

Southern (smooth) whale. Habitat varies depending on the season. In winter, right whales concentrate in the North Asian part of the Pacific Ocean at 20-40 0 N, as well as in the southern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, in the Yellow, East China Seas and in the waters of Taiwan. In the spring (from March to May) the migration of animals to the north begins, and they spend the summer in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, in the area of ​​the Kuril ridge, off the coast of Kamchatka and the Commander Islands. With the onset of autumn, animals migrate to the south for wintering.

Gray whale. The oldest of the baleen whales. Has not lost contact with the coast, as it breeds only in shallow bays of California and Korea. With a maximum length of 15 m, the mass of animals reaches 20-35 tons. Growth continues up to 40 years. After 8 years, females give birth to cubs with a length of about 4 m and weighing up to 600 kg or more. It lives exclusively in the waters of the northern half of the Pacific Ocean. In Russian waters, it occurs along the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan, in the La Perouse and Tatar Straits, in the area of ​​the Kuril Islands, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and sometimes in the East Siberian Sea along the edge of pack ice. In addition, gray whales are frequent visitors to the coastal waters of Korea, the Korea Strait and the Japan Islands. Mining is allowed only for the local population of Chukotka in single quantities.

TOOTH WHALES

Sperm whale. The largest representative of toothed whales. With a body weight of 50 tons, males can reach a length of 20, and females - 15 m. The average length of males in waters Far East is 15, females - 13 m. external signs: huge, laterally flattened head (1/3-1/4 body length); depression in the lower part of the head; absence of teeth in the upper jaw and long lower jaws; several small humped fins behind the main dorsal fin. The weight of one tooth of the lower jaw of a sperm whale reaches 1.6 kg. Female sperm whales mature at 15-17, males - at 23-25 ​​years. The length of newborn cubs is 4-4.5 m. Sperm whales are distributed throughout the oceans. At the same time, females breed in the tropics and rarely go beyond the subtropical zone, while males can migrate in summer to the north up to the Davis Strait, the Barents and Bering Seas and to the south to Antarctica. In Russian waters, sperm whales are most often found in the area of ​​the Kuril ridge, in the southern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and near the Commander Islands.

Northern float. It is very easy to distinguish this species of whale from its relatives by its elongated cylindrical beak and characteristic high spherical "forehead", sometimes with white markings. It reaches 11-12 m in length, weighs 8-10 tons. It lives in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, from Cape Navarin, Alaska and British Columbia to the latitudes of Southern Japan and California. In the waters of Russia, it is more common in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and near the Kuril Islands, less often in the Sea of ​​Japan and the Bering Sea. The fat of the swimming pool is not edible, therefore it is mined either by accident or for economic purposes, mainly in Japan.

Tall bottlenose. Unlike the floater, the beak of the bottlenose is sharp and short, and the "forehead" hangs over its base. With a length of 9-10 m, the weight of animals does not exceed 8 tons. For their habitat, bottlenose have chosen the waters of the North Atlantic from the Davis Strait, the Greenland and Barents Seas to the latitudes of North-West Africa and the middle part of the United States. Sometimes they enter the Mediterranean, Baltic and White Seas. They winter in the warm waters of the Atlantic. Bottlenose fishing is carried out in the waters of Norway, the northwestern part of the Barents Sea and Iceland.

bottlenose dolphin. Bottlenose dolphins are common in coastal temperate and warm waters of the oceans. Three of the four types of bottlenose dolphins are found in Russian waters: Black Sea, Atlantic (in the Baltic) and North Pacific. The sizes of these animals do not exceed 3.3-3.6 m, and their weight is 300-400 kg. In spring and summer, they give birth to cubs a little over 1 m in length and weighing 11-12 kg. Bottlenose dolphins are used mainly in aquariums and zoos.

Common dolphin (real, Black Sea, common dolphin). The length of common dolphins is 1.6-2.6 m (in the Black Sea - no more than 2.1 m). Distinctive features of these animals are a slender body and a long beak, separated from the fat pad by characteristic grooves. The weight of male Black Sea dolphins varies from 24 to 58, and females - from 36 to 61 kg. The habitat of these animals in the World Ocean, as well as bottlenose dolphins, is very wide. Three species of dolphins live in the waters of Russia: Atlantic (Baltic), Black Sea (the smallest) and Far Eastern (Sea of ​​Japan). Fishing for dolphins in the Black Sea has been banned since 1967.

Grinds. Three types of pilot whales live in the World Ocean: common, tropical and black, or North Pacific. The black pilot whale is the largest, its length reaches 5.5-6.5 m. The characteristic external signs of pilot whales are: a spherical head, almost devoid of a beak, a dorsal fin sharply bent back and shifted towards the head.

Toothed whales of this species are distributed in the North Atlantic and in the temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean to the latitudes of the Kuril, Commander and Aleutian Islands. Grind is regularly mined off the coast of Japan, the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland and Norway, as well as in open waters North and Barents Seas.

Orcas. By the characteristic huge white spots, the killer whale is easy to distinguish from any other whale. With a body length of 8.7-10 m, the mass of the animal reaches 8 tons, and the speed of movement is 55 km/h, which greatly complicates its fishing. Killer whales prefer cold and temperate waters of the oceans. They were met even in the Arctic seas - the Kara and East Siberian (Chaun Bay). But for some reason animals avoid the Laptev and Black seas.

Sea pigs. Females are slightly larger than males - body length is 1.8 and 1.7 m, respectively. The maximum weight reaches 90 kg, the average - 50 kg, among the inhabitants of the Black Sea does not exceed 30 kg. The weight of the cubs is usually no more than 3 kg. These animals chose bays, bays, fjords, mouths and lower reaches of the rivers of the Northern Hemisphere as their habitats. In the waters of Russia there are three types of porpoises: Black Sea (the smallest), North Atlantic (Baltic, White, Barents Seas) and North Pacific (seas of the Far East).

Beluga whales. A characteristic feature of these whales, in addition to white, is the absence of a beak and dorsal fin. The length of males reaches 6 m, weight 2 tons, and females - 5 m and 1.5 tons, respectively. Cubs-suckers have a slate-blue color, and young belugas are gray or blue.

Distributed in all seas of the Arctic and adjacent basins, the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. In very severe winters, they can descend south to the latitudes of Japan and Great Britain, enter the Baltic Sea. Beluga whales of three species live in Russian waters: White Sea, Kara and Far Eastern. Their production in our waters is limited.

Narwhal (unicorn). The shape, weight and length of the body are the same as those of the beluga whale, but the back of the narwhal has a dark blue color with a general light background of the body, and the tail from above resembles an anchor with two wide paws. Males are distinguished by a powerful tusk with a spiral cut, protruding 2-3 m from the left side of the muzzle.

It prefers high latitudes for habitat - the Arctic Ocean and the Arctic seas, especially the Greenland region and the northern part of the Canadian archipelago. Narwhals were met from 85 about north latitude. in the north to Great Britain and the Netherlands, the Murmansk coast, the mouth of the Pechora, the White Sea, Bering Island, Port Moller (Alaska) in the south. The species is very small and can be attributed to the group of rare animals. Nevertheless, several hundred narwhals are mined annually by the inhabitants of the coast of Greenland.