A blue whale bulky profile -- up to 15 feet across -- is seen from behind as it surfaces between dives. Usually only one-fifth of a blue whale is visible at the surface. The blue whale is the largest animal on earth, reaching 80 feet in length and weighing as much as 300,000 pounds. Near Islas Coronado (Coronado Islands). Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico