"So," thinks the young student listener, "the Blue Whale is the biggest animal that ever lived because something makes the ocean water to circulate."

"Correct," says the storyteller, "and when it circulates it comes up around Antarctica and feeds the diatoms."

"There he goes again, saying that nutrients are food. I already said that plants make food, they don"t eat it."

The water coming back up to the surface (upwelling) around Antarctica is rich in phosphorous and nitrogen and is loaded with silicon for making the beautiful opal valves of diatoms. The ring of upwelling water around the continent is a perfect place for a diatom bloom. There are plenty of nutrients, the sun shines 24 hours a day in the Antarctic summer, and the diatoms go crazy. They really do feed the krill, and they make enough food for the Blue Whale too.

"What really needs to be asked," says the storyteller, "is why does ocean water come back up to the surface right there, in that place? Why does the ring of upwelling nutrients go all the way."

"I give up," says the listener, "Why?"

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