The fin whale is a huge baleen whale belonging to the rorqual family (Balaenopteridae). It is the second largest animal on earth after the blue whale. The fin whale is sometimes called the “greyhound of the sea” because of its fast swimming speed. It can swim up to 45 kph in short bursts.

There are three separate populations of fin whales: one in the northern Pacific, one in the North Atlantic and one in the Southern Hemisphere; they do not interbreed.

Fin whales are carnivores that filter-feed plankton and small fish from the water. They have very fine grey-black baleen that trap very small particles of food. Each side of the upper jaw has 350–400 baleen plates.

The fin whale usually swims in pods of 3–7 whales, but larger groups up to 300 animals may form at rich feeding grounds or while migrating.

The fin whale commonly dives to depths of 100–200 m and usually doesn’t stay under water for more than 15 minutes. Fin whales grow to be about 24–26 m long and weigh about 60 to 80 tonnes. The fin whale calves weigh about 2 tonnes at birth.