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. Whale Biology-fin whale . 
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minke whale - Pieter FolkensFin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
{Federally endangered species}


The fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, is the second largest of the cetaceans, reaching lengths of 24 m (Leatherwood et al. 1976) and weighing up to 73 MT (Minasian et al. 1984). These "greyhounds of the sea" are among the fastest of the baleen whales, and are reported to swim at speeds approaching 20 kt. For this reason, they became a commercially important species only after the development of fast catcher boats and the depletion of other large species such as the right whale and blue whale (Leatherwood et al. 1976).

fin whale blowFin whales have long slender bodies that are primarily dark gray or brown in color. The ventral sides of the belly, flukes, and flippers are white. Fin whales can be identified individually by their natural marks and scars. Distinctive features include the tall falcate dorsal fin, the light pigmentation or blaze on the right side of the head, and the V-shaped gray-white chevron on the back and sides (Agler et al. 1990). The right side of the head, lower lip, upper lip, and a portion of the baleen are white, whereas the entire left side of the head is dark in color. It has been hypothesized that this coloration is a feeding-related adaptation (Katona et al. 1993). However, to date there is no evidence of this (Tershey and Wiley 1992). Fin whale prey includes schooling fish, euphausids, and copepods (Mitchell 1975).

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