FaunaHub
VUVulnerablePartial review

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface at sea.

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) at the surface.

Image: Laura (Laney) White (USGS Western Ecological Research Center), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
VU · Vulnerable
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Increasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, a fast-swimming baleen whale. It is assessed as Vulnerable.

It feeds on small fish and krill, lunging through prey swarms.

Range & habitat

Found in oceans worldwide, mainly in deep offshore waters.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Past commercial whaling (now recovering)
  • Ship strikes
  • Entanglement and noise

Why it matters

A giant of the open ocean recovering from industrial whaling, the fin whale is both a conservation success in progress and still at risk from shipping.

Gallery

A mounted fin whale skeleton showing its great length.

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) skeleton on display.

Image: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Fin Whale

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is the fin whale?
It is the second-largest animal alive, after the blue whale, reaching around 20-plus metres — and is known for its speed, earning it the nickname 'greyhound of the sea'.
Why is the fin whale Vulnerable?
Industrial whaling greatly reduced its numbers; though now recovering, it still faces ship strikes, entanglement, and ocean noise. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: