The Fin Whale

A. Martin

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The fin whale, or Balaenoptera physalus which are known for their big splashes, can grow 24 to 26.8 meters in length. Females are known to grow larger than males. They range in color from dark gray to brownish black with a white and halfly striped belly. Sometimes they can be found singly or in pairs. Their blow is shaped like an inverted cone and can be anywhere from 4 to 6 meters. They can dive up to 230 meters and can hold their breath for up to ten minutes, although most dives are five to eight minutes. They are one of the fastest of the big whales, traveling at almost 32 kilometers per hour. They feed on krill and other invertebrates like capelin, sandlance, squid, herring, and laternfish. They often fall victims to killer whales or orcas. They mature sexually between six and twelve years. Their newborns are between 6 to 6.5 meters. They calve and mate during the winter, every second or third year after maturity. It takes a twelve month gestationperiod to produce one calf. During the spring, they move toward the northern and southern extremities and towards the equator during the fall. They tend to travel in small groups of 3 to 7 with a occasional 100 or more that will gather to feed together. Main diet of small fish, shrimp, and sometimes squid or octapus. They are found throughout most of the world's oceans, but they are sighted the most along the coast of California, Gulf of California, and Mexico. They are most common in the southern hemisphere, and least common in the tropics, with some tendences to enter the polar waters. The fin whale is threatened by pollution. Their population size is estimated at 120,000, but it cannot be certain.

Andrea Vanessa & Erica @ the Advanced Technologies Academy