Fin Whale

Scientific Name: Balaenoptera Physalus

Size:  up to 85 feet
Weight:  50-70 tons
Speed:  to 35 mph
Status:  Endangered

Fin whales are the second largest species of whale and also the second largest animal ever to live on Earth.  The only animal to exceed a Fin whale's size is the Blue Whale.  One of the fastest whales in the world, they can swim at speeds of 35 mph, giving them the nickname, 'greyhounds of the sea.'

The only animal to have consistent asymmetrical markings is the Fin whale.  The left side of a fin whale is colored differently from the right side.  The left side of the lower jaw is black while the right side is white.  This is also true for the left and right sides of the baleen and tongue.  No one knows why the Fin whale is colored this way, but one theory is that they might use this pattern to help catch food.  They tend to feed on small schooling fish such as herring, capelin, sand eels and krill.  Sometimes they are observed circling a school of fish in a clockwise manner, possibly startling the fish with the bright whiteness of the right lower jaw.  Sometimes they will circle in a counter clockwise manner, perhaps trying to camouflage themselves from their prey by blending in with the dark background of the ocean.  Again, no one knows if the Fin whale's dramatic coloring has evolved to help it catch fish or if it has another unknown use, but both methods of hunting seem to work well for the Fin whale.

Individual fin whales can be identified by scientists and researchers based on a few natural markings on their backs.  A marking called the chevron is a swirly pattern of gray, black and brown found on the right side of the whale's back just behind the blowhole.  They also have a marking called the blaze, which is a single or double diagonal stripe along the whale's left side of its back.  both of these markings, along with the shape of the whale's dorsal fin are used to identify individuals.  Notice the chevron marking and white lower jaw of the fin whale below:

The migration pattern of the fin whale has yet to be observed.  They are commonly seen from Labrador, Canada to Maryland during the warmer months of the year and occasionally seen in these same areas as well as the coast of Virginia during the winter months.  But, it is still unknown if the majority of this species travels to some other location for most of the winter.

The loudest animals on Earth are the Fin whales and their cousins, the Blue whales.  These animals produce sounds that are between 160-190 decibels (dB).  As a comparison, the sound of a jet taking off is about 120 dB and human's estimated threshold for pain is about 125 dB.  These sounds are also very deep, or low-pitched.  Although these sounds are below our hearing range, sensitive recording devices can pick up these sounds.  The recording devices, or hydrophones, pick up the sound of the Fin whale, and can determine its location based on hydrophones located in other areas that are picking up the same sound.  Scientists believe that the whales can hear each other from at least hundreds of miles away and possibly thousands of miles away, based on the properties of sound traveling in water at certain temperatures and densities.

Still one of the most mysterious species of whale, the Fin whale has eluded scientists for decades.  Hopefully with new research methods and technology, we can learn more about the second largest animal ever to live on Earth.

Text by Dianna Schulte, senior naturalist