Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus),
also sometimes referred to as the Finback whale or common rorqual, is the
second largest whale in the world, second only to the Blue whale. The Fin whale
can weigh up to 80 tones and stretch up to 26 meters long. It has a v-shaped head with asymmetrical
colouring. The left jaw is dark coloured,
usually grey and the right side is white. The rest of the whale is usually
white on the ventral side and dark coloured on the dorsal side. The Fin whale
has a very stream-lined body with a tall dorsal fin rising at a shallow angle
about two-thirds of the way along the back.
It is part of the rorqual family of whales and therefore has distinctive
throat grooves. These horizontally
running grooves allow the whale to open its mouth very wide in order to take in
large amounts of water which it then pushes back out through the numerous,
large baleen plates hanging in its jaw, to filter out the plankton, krill and
small schooling fish that make up its diet.
The
Fin whale lives in social groups of 2 to 7 individuals as well as being often
seen feeding near other groups of whales such as the Humpback or Minke
whales. The only non human predator of
the Fin whale is the Killer whale or Orca.
Female Fin whales are mature at around 7 to 12 years, while males mature
slightly faster at 6 to 12 years. A female Fin whale will give birth to a live
calf after 11 to 12 months gestation.
The calf is approximately 6 meters long and 2 tones when it is
born. Fin whales are believed to live as
long as 90 years. Another interesting
fact is that in some rare cases Fin whales have been known to breed with Blue
whales as a few hybrids, believed to be sterile, have been located. 
Fin Whale surfacing.
Diagram of the Fin Whale. (courtesy of EnchantedLearning.com)
Pictures showing the way in which the rorqual grooves allow for expansion of the mouth.
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