Which Arctic whale is the largest animal with baleen plates?

The blue whale is the largest animal with baleen plates, including individuals that feed in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters.

Blue whales are filter feeders. Instead of teeth, they have hundreds of overlapping baleen plates hanging from the upper jaw. The whale takes in enormous mouthfuls of water, then pushes the water out with its tongue while baleen traps small prey, especially krill.

Although blue whales are found in every ocean, some populations migrate into high-latitude waters during feeding seasons. They are not confined to the Arctic, unlike several species commonly associated with polar regions. Their immense size makes them the largest known animal in Earth’s history, exceeding even the biggest dinosaurs in mass.

The bowhead whale is a more specialized Arctic whale and also has baleen, but it is much smaller than a blue whale. Fin whales and humpback whales likewise use baleen, yet neither reaches the blue whale’s maximum size. Baleen is made of keratin, the same structural material found in human fingernails.