Home
SEE TRIPS
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Flora & Fauna
  3. Sea Mammal

Fin Whale

Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)Spanish name: Rorcual Comun, Rorcual Careto

Fin Whale
Fin Whale
Fin Whale
←→
  • Sightings

  • Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge
    Tortuguero National Park

    Habitat
    This whale stays in deeper oceanic areas, avoiding shallow or coastal waters.

    Physical Description
    The long dark back of this whale is smudged with a lighter grayish area behind the head; the contrasting belly is white with many ventral grooves between the lower jaw and navel. The relatively small dorsal fin (60 cm high) is far back from the head, and the flippers are narrow and white underneath. The distinct head is flat, V-shaped when looked at from above, and the mouth full of plates for straining krill and other small food.

    Interesting Biology
    Second in size only to the blue whale, this enormous oceanic mammal lives travels to the poles in the spring and passes through the warm equatorial waters in the winter. It travels alone, in pairs, or in pods of up to 7 individuals; some temporary groups reach more than 50 individuals in feeding or resting areas.

    The fin whale can dive up to 230 m, and is one of the fastest large whales, swimming up to 32 km/h. While hunting, it sends out low and high frequency pulses to find food and to communicate with other fin whales. When it resurfaces from a deep dive, a tall spout spurts from the blowhole 4-6 m high and visible from far away. This whale often leaps out of the water-an action called breaching-like the humpback whale, splashing water high into the air as it lands on its back.

    The Fin Whale still faces hunting threats to a small degree off the coasts of Spain, Korea, and China.

    Diet
    This large whale is sustained by a variety of krill, crustaceans, invertebrates, jellyfish, squid, herring, and lamp fish.

    Height/Weight
    From 24 m to 27 m long and weighing 35-70 tons, size and weight varies with region, tending to be larger in the southern hemisphere.

    Brief Taxonomy
    Order: Cetacea
    Family: Balaenopteridae

    Sources
    Saenz, Joel C., Grace Wong, and Eduardo Carrillo. Ballenas y delfines de America Central. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad. Costa Rica, 2004.

    Amy Strieter, Wildlife Writer

  • Similar Profiles

  • Sperm Whale, Cetacean - Vertebrate
    Humpback Whale
    Pacific Spotted Dolphin
    Bottle-nosed Dolphin
    Orca, Killer Whale
    Common Dolphin
    Excellent!
    Trustpilot Rating
    Based on 705 reviews
    Trustpilot
    Will use them again!
    Communicative, helpful and honest. They stuck to my budget and accommodated my changes. My kids and I had such a good ti...
    Dec 01, 2022
    – Kayla C.
    Trustpilot Rating
    100 Stars!!
    If I could give 100 stars, I would wholeheartedly. All the booked activities were excellent and pricing was unbeatable. ...
    Nov 30, 2022
    – Ravi D.
    Trustpilot Rating
    One of the best I have ever used
    Having traveled a lot, I have used many travel companies. The responsiveness and efforts to meet our needs were unmatche...
    Dec 08, 2022
    – A. Hershe.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Above & Beyond in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, & Laos
    Thank you to the entire team that made this trip so memorable for us. We appreciate your warmth and going above and beyo...
    Jun 20, 2022
    – Sapna
    Trustpilot Rating
    Best way to travel!
    I trusted Harold from Anywhere.com to plan my family's vacation. Harold went above and beyond in making sure that our tr...
    Oct 04, 2021
    – Shivani P.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Profesionalism at its Best
    My experience with Anywhere.com in Costa Rica was perfection. All of the drivers were punctual and pleasant; and all of ...
    Aug 02, 2021
    – Natasha I.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere is OUTSTANDING!
    My family & I have used Anywhere to organize 3 vacations- Costa Rica, Peru, & now Ecuador. I would not hesitate to use t...
    Jul 29, 2021
    – Kara V.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Awesome vacation, everything went smoothly
    Our agent (Erick) planned a great trip for our family of 5. All the tours were excellent, all the transport and lodging ...
    Mar 17, 2020
    – David
    Trustpilot Rating
    Everything Anywhere said they would do…
    Everything Anywhere said they would do they did. Very professional and friendly staff.
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Darrell
    Trustpilot Rating
    We were very reassured in constructing…
    We were very reassured in constructing our trip using Anywhere.com as the team responded promptly to our questions in a ...
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Michael
    Trustpilot Rating
    Great service!
    Great service!
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Kyle K
    Trustpilot Rating
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Jerry Pos.
    Trustpilot Rating
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time…
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time before our departure to provide an itineary based on what we already researched a...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Thomas hi.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with. They made booking my transfers a pleasant experience. And I even had some last ...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Ashley Ba.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Perfectly planned
    Perfectly planned. The trip went off with all (5) transfers on time and all our accommodations meeting or exceeding our...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – John C.
    Trustpilot Rating

    Let's Dream Together

    Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

    We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

    Costa Rica Vacations
    • Adventure
    • All-inclusive
    • Beach
    • Budget
    • Eco-tourism
    • Family
    • Group
    • Honeymoon
    • Luxury
    • Nature
    • Private
    • Rainforest
    • Romantic
    Highlights
    • Top Destinations
    • Beaches
    • Rainforests
    • Cloudforest
    • Volcanoes
    • Waterfalls
    • Surfing
    • Leisure
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Airports
    Costa Rica Travel
    • Maps
    • Safety
    • Weather & Climate
    • Sustainability
    • Holiday Season
    • Currency
    • Driving & Car Rental
    • Getting Around
    PLACES TO GO
    • Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs
    • Monteverde Cloudforests
    • Manuel Antonio Beach & Jungle
    • Tamarindo Beach
    • Santa Theresa & Malpais Beaches
    • Puerto Viejo Beach
    • Nosara Beach
    • Jaco Beach
    • Tortuguero Rainforest
    • Corcovado Rainforest
    • Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Waterfall
    • Nicoya Peninsula
    • Guanacaste Beaches
    • Osa Peninsula
    THINGS TO DO
    • Hot Springs
    • Zip Lines
    • Suspension Bridges
    • Horseback
    • Rappel
    • Wildlife
    • Hiking
    • Chocolate Farms
    • Whitewater Rafting
    • Coffee Farms
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Surfing
    • Sport Fishing
    • Birdwatching
    • Scuba Diving
    • Catamaran Cruise
    • Indigenous Culture
    • Yoga
    • Wellness
    • Cave Exploration
    Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
    Trustpilot "Excellent"
    Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
    MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

    © 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy