Fauna Flora Photography

Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus

Fin Whale is the second largest whale on Earth and a frequent visitor of Saint Lawrence River during summer. It is a fast swimmer and it likes to gather in groups for feeding.

Taxonomy

Mammalia > Artiodactyla > Cetacea > Balaenopteridae

Names in different Languages

GermanFinnwal
EnglishFin Whale
FrenchRorqual commun
SpanishRorcual común, Ballena de aleta

How to Identify

The primary characteristic to identify this species is the form of the dorsal fin, with straight, not curved, anterior slope, the light grey color of the dorsal part, and the fact that this species doesn’t show the fluke when diving.

Where When to Spot

This species can be observed during summer months (July, August and September) in Saguenay St Lawrence Marine Park.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park 0 2 0 0
  0 2 0 0

Number of times a species has been observed, identified, and recorded. A species is reported only once per visit to a park.

Photos of Fin Whale

Videos of Fin Whale

You can watch these videos and many more on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.


Last updated on 2023-06-20. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.