Blue whale heart beats only 2 times per minute

A blue whale's heart reaches the lowest heart rate ever recorded in a mammal — just two beats per minute, or one every 30 seconds. Yet its circulatory system adapts instantly to sudden exertion: the animal can abruptly accelerate, perform complex maneuvers and take in enormous amounts of water along with krill. Researchers are trying to explain how the whale's heart manages such extreme changes in energy demand.

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