A whale with a streamlined body and a dorsal fin set well back. The lower jaw has different colors on each side.
The left lower jaw is dark and the right is white. Its back is black or dark gray, and its belly is white.
Fin Whales have a dark left lower jaw and white right lower jaw. Pale chevrons behind the head can help identify individuals.
Expanded throat pleats admit water and prey, which baleen filters. Northern diets include small fish, while krill is particularly important in the Southern Hemisphere.
Ship strikes, entanglement and underwater noise are conservation concerns. Population, photographic and acoustic monitoring inform efforts to reduce risks from vessels and fisheries.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Industrial whaling depleted fin whales. Continuing concerns include ship strikes, entanglement, noise and changing prey conditions. Surveys and management address vessel and fisheries risks.