![]() ![]() In order to get their fill, fin whales can spend several hours each day feeding, gulping up to 70 cubic metres of water in one go before it sieving out. However, when you are that big and your prey is that small, you have to eat a lot to survive. What do fin whales eat?įin whales have a pretty simple diet, consisting of krill, small fish and crustaceans. Despite recognising their vulnerable status, some whalers continue to target fin whales. These days, the struggle is ongoing, and the dangers of whaling industries are a constant threat. Relentlessly hunted for their oil, meat and baleen, their numbers have been radically reduced by whalers, though in the earlier days of whaling they were often too fast to be caught by the whale boats. On the whole, life for fin whales has been particularly hard. 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! They only rarely breach or spyhop, even avoiding raising their fluke out of the water for much of the time. Unlike other whales, fin whales are not too fond of the spotlight. Babies stay with their mums for around one year and learn all about the dos and don’ts in this time. Generally found alone or in pairs, fin whales are mostly solitary and are rarely found in groups. Some scientists believe this unusual characteristic may have something to do with hunting strategies, although nothing is certain. The difference in colouration between each side of the body is called “asymmetrical pigmentation” and is only found in one other whale species, Omura’s whale. Whilst on their left side their lower jaw is black, on the right side it is a brilliant white. However, on closer inspection they have one very striking feature. Mostly sporting grey, dark brown and black tones with a gorgeous pale belly, from a distance there might not seem anything unusual about fin whales. They then sieve the water out through their baleen plates before ingesting their delicious meal, consuming up to 2,000kg of krill in a day. Like other baleen whales, fin whales have expandable pleats that allow them to take in huge amounts of water and food. With a distinct ridge running behind the dorsal fin, in the USA they have earned themselves the nickname “razorbacks” and cut through the water with ease. People have been urged to stay away from the area.Truly handsome individuals, fin whales have long, slender bodies that can grow up to a whopping 80 feet in length. The whale has washed up on a beach at Nare Point, which is privately owned. "It is really really thin so it's likely it hasn't eaten for some time." I can't remember the last time one was recorded down here, Julia added: "We don't get them in our waters. It is rare to find fin whales in British waters and it appears that the creature may have been sick, although tests will need to be carried out to determine the cause of death. "They will do some sampling and maybe a post-mortem." "It will be passed into the standings network. Police warning after busting drugs house in St Austell.Cornwall MP George Eustice responds to his new Cabinet position.Julia said: "Our team are recording some data. Julia Cable, national coordinator at BDMLR, said the creature is a fin whale, which are also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale.įin whales are the second largest whale on the planet. Sadly the animal, thought to be 60ft long, was pronounced dead at about 3.45pm this afternoon - Friday, February 14. A large whale has beached on the Cornish coast.Įxperts from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were called to Nare Point on the Lizard this afternoon after the poorly creature beached on rocks. ![]()
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