Print Details
The Blue Whale by Jeff Soto
Limited Edition of 50 (signed & numbered)
Fine art Giclée print on Italian cold-press watercolor paper
24" x 18"
Printed by Paragon Press
Artist Statement
The Blue Whale is the largest creature the planet has ever seen but it's future is uncertain. Humans hunted this majestic animal to near extinction and now it is up to us to save it. Despite being such a great and powerful sea creature, it is very vulnerable.My painting plays with scale - the whale is mighty and huge in front of the mountain range, yet small and susceptible to the trident. The trident itself symbolizes the creativity and destruction of man. We caused the Blue Whale's peril but we can now act as its protector.
About the Artist
Jeff Soto is an artist residing in Southern California. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide.
Besides making art he enjoys the natural world - bird watching, gardening, hiking and camping.
Jeff's father, an avid outdoorsman, instilled in him a deep respect for nature which he is now passing it down to his own children as well.
Species of the month
Blue Whale
Conservation Status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Blue whales live in all oceans around the globe, feeding in high latitudes and migrating to the tropics to breed and give birth. Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth reaching up to 100 feet / 30 meters in length and weighing 200 tons. Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant and their hearts are as big as a Volkswagen Beetle.
Reaching these mind-boggling dimensions on a diet consisting exclusively of tiny shrimp-like animals called krill, a single adult blue whale can consume about 4 tons of krill per day.
Aside from being the largest, blue whales are among the longest-lived animals on the planet with an average lifespan of around 80 to 90 years. Scientists have discovered that by counting the layers of a deceased whale's wax-like earplugs, they can get a close estimate of the whale's age. The oldest blue whale was determined to be around 110 years old.
Intensive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove these animals to the edge of extinction. It's estimated that between 1900 and 1960, over 350,000 blue whales were slaughtered. Approximately 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales are believed to still swim the world's oceans. Blue whales finally received protection status with the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but they have attained only minor recovery since then.
Blue whales have few predators but have been known to fall victim to attacks by sharks and killer whales, and many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships. Blue whales are currently classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
You can help save blue whales
-
Donate to organization working to raise awareness and research such as PangeaSeed, Asha de Vos and Whales Sri Lanka, American Cetacean Society etc.
-
Advocate stronger global and regional action to protect whales and other marine mammals.
-
Support the establishment and protection of marine protected areas (MPAs).
-
Recommend ecotourism and dive or snorkel with blue whales - but remember to look and DO NOT touch these animals. This offers sustainable monetary alternatives to destructive fishing methods.
-
Think twice before you buy. Do not support the trade of whale and marine mammal products and try to reduce your carbon footprint.
-
Educate yourself, friend and family on the issues facing blue whales and other endangered sea life. Act NOW if you wish to save our seas.
The Story behind The Blue Whale
Jeff Soto
