Nic Schroth who lives Ibiza has shared a spectacular video on social media of a fin whale swimming in the waters off the island. The images, captured by a drone, show this marine giant moving calmly near the surface. Schroth posted on his Instagram account: ‘The marine treasures of Ibiza. This year is special, seeing these creatures for the fifth time. Luckily, I had my drone with me to capture these moments.’
The fin whale is the second largest whale species in the world, behind only the blue whale, and can exceed 20 metres in length. The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as the finback whale or common rorqual, is a species of baleen whale and the second-longest cetacean after the blue whale. The biggest individual reportedly measured 26–27 m (85–89 ft) in length, with a maximum recorded weight of 70 to 80 tonnes (77 to 88 short tons; 69 to 79 long tons). The fin whale’s body is long, slender and brownish-gray in color, with a paler underside to appear less conspicuous from below (countershading).
At least two recognised subspecies exist, one in the North Atlantic and one across the Southern Hemisphere. It is found in all the major oceans, from polar to tropical waters, though it is absent only from waters close to the pack ice at the poles and relatively small areas of water away from the open ocean. The highest population density occurs in temperate and cool waters. Its prey mainly consists of smaller schooling fish, small squid, or crustaceans, including copepods and krill.
Mating takes place in temperate, low-latitude seas during the winter. Fin whales are often observed in pods of 6–10 animals, with whom they communicate utilising frequency-modulated sounds, ranging from 16 to 40 hertz. Like all other large whales, the fin whale was a prized kill during the “heyday” of whaling, from 1840 to 1861.
It remained so into the 20th century but decades of overharvesting contributed to declining numbers through the late 20th century. Over 725,000 fin whales were reportedly taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976. Post-recovery numbers of the southern subspecies are predicted to be less than 50% of the pre-whaling population, even by 2100, due to long-lasting impacts of whaling and slow recovery rates. As of 2018, it was assessed as vulnerable by the IUCN.