There is no corresponding muscle for the downward movement of the tail. With modern whaling methods, however, finback whales became easy victims. On land an animal the size of a blue whale would be crushed by its own weight without the support of large heavy bones. Adult males reach sexual maturity at about 6-10 years of age. fastest swimmers of all the baleen whales, can exceed 40km/hr in short sprints; when surfacing, the dorsal fin is usually visible at the same time; arch their back less than fin whales during a deep dive; Group size / social behaviour. © Copyright 2018 by the American Cetacean Society | PO Box 51691 Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | The American Cetacean Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Public Benefit Corporation (EIN/tax ID number: 95-2512764). Still, whales are able to glide through the ocean’s waters gracefully and with ease. We also saw curious Fin Whales, circling our boat and three Blue Whales, also socializing, something I had never seen before after many hours of watching blues. Fin whales tend not to breach, fluke, flipper-flap, or lob-tail. 5 out of 5 stars (11) 11 reviews $ 15.00. Webber, R.L. The huge fin whale lost half its tail fluke either in a collision with a boat or after becoming entangled in a discarded fishing net. Jefferson, T.A., M.A. Gestation is 12 months, and calves are believed to be born at 3-4 year intervals. The fin whale is light gray to brownish-black on its back and sides. Its flippers are small and tapered, and its fluke is wide, pointed at the tips, and notched in the center. For the most part, fin whales do not usually exhibit the dramatic out-of-water behaviors that we see with humpback whales. As the mouth closes water is expelled through the baleen plates, which trap the food on the inside near the tongue to be swallowed. The fin whale has a prominent, slightly falcate (curved) dorsal fin located far back on its body. Whalers did not target them at first, because of their speed and open ocean habitat. Meanwhile, the pseudo-stalked barnacle ( Xenobalanus globicipitis ) is generally found on the dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and flukes. The fin whale's blow is tall and shaped like an inverted cone, and the dive sequence is 5-8 blows approximately 70 seconds apart before a long dive. Pygmy blue whale in Western Australia. Gambell, R. 1985. in Handbook of Marine Mammals (Ridgway & Harrison Eds.). The epaxial muscle mass pulls the tail upwards, while the hypaxial mass draws it back down to facilitate its swimming movement. The lack of flukes, the part that normally ensures propulsion, probably costs the fin whale an abnormal and overly high level of energy consumption. Pitman. The top muscle, the epaxial, is larger and stronger than its lower counterpart. In all my years of whale watching, I’ve seen the flukes of a fin whale on only two occasions, once off Long Island, NY and once off the California coast. The pectoral (side) fins are relatively short (only 9% to 10% of the body length) and pointed at the tips. The blue whale has a wide head, a small dorsal fin located near the fluke, and 80–100 long grooves running lengthwise down the throat and chest. Its mouth contains up to 800 plates of short, wide, black baleen, or “whalebone,” with thick, coarse bristles used for catching food. In this image, you will find blowholes, gray-white chevrons on each side of head, ridge runs from dorsal fin to flukes, sickle-shaped dorsal fin, wide flukes, median notch, thick tail stock, white undersides, pointed flippers are white underneath, 56-100 throat grooves, lower lip is dark on the left white on the right in it. Stylish and protective for iPhone SE, 11, XS, X, 8, and more. Fin whales are found in all oceans of the world, though they seem to prefer temperate and polar waters to tropical seas. J-Pod off Sandheads at 1400 (near Steveston/Vancouver BC). But, as whaling methods modernized with steam-powered ships and explosive harpoons, whalers over-hunted other species of whales they had used for oil, bone, and fat. The sei whale has a tall, falcate (curved) dorsal (top) fin. Through this post, we would like to raise awareness on boat strikes and drifting nets that injure/kill many whales everywhere, every year. Return to Top ↑ Not to be confused with. The plates can measure up to 30 inches (76 cm) in length and 12 inches (30 cm) in width. Fin whales have a distinctive V-shaped pattern of coloration around their head called a “chevron.” Although the overall visible color of the animal is dark gray, the right side of the head, upper lip, lower lip, and a portion of the baleen are white. From the outside, they don't look much like whales at all. They turned to fin whales, killing a huge number during the mid-1900s725,… Despite their seeming shyness, fin whales have no qualms when it comes to mixing with some other species of whales and have even been known to breed with blue whales, giving birth to hybrid calves! Similar Images . seldom arch tail high or expose flukes; Surface behaviour. Because its body is supported by water, the need for heavy bones disappeared. Most whales have one dorsal fin (situated on their upper side, or back) and two pectoral fins on their undersides. The baleen on the left side of the mouth has alternating bands of creamy-yellow and blue-gray color. The lower jaw is gray or black on the left side and creamy white on the right side. Slim, tough, soft options. Calves nurse for 6-8 months and are weaned when they are 30-40 feet (10-12 m) in length. They have a pointed snout, paired blowholes, and a broad, flat rostrum (upper part of the head). The size and positioning of these fins differ from one whale species to the next, and their role will need to be considered in a detailed discussion about each member of this fascinating species. Illustrations courtesy Uko Gorter, copyright ©2017 all rights reserved. This is an essential feature of its structure because the epaxial muscle is responsible for raising the massive tail fin against the resistance and weight of the water around it. Weight for both sexes is between 50-70 tons (45,360-63,500 kg). They had long skulls and large carnivorous teeth. Whalers favour these muscles as they provide plenty of boneless meat with no inedible trimmings. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) placed them under full protection in 1966 beginning with the North Pacific population. Two lighter "colored" chevrons begin midline behind the blowholes and slant down the sides towards the fluke (tail) before turning and ending right behind the eye. 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