Fin whale: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the fin whale lives – recorded in 17 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Balaenoptera physalus
Group	Whales & dolphins
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	17 countries
Continents	Antarctica, Europe, North America
Class	Mammal
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Balaenopteridae

Where does the fin whale live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the fin whale in 17 countries and territories across Antarctica, Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Brazil, São João de Pirabas.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the fin whale endangered?

The fin whale’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Vulnerable” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the fin whale?

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Balaenopteridae, genus Balaenoptera. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the fin whale

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 26–27.3 m (85–90 ft) in length, with a maximum recorded weight of 65.5 to 120 t (64.5 to 118.1 long tons; 72.2 to 132.3 short 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).

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Fin whale (revision 1380680173), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q179020 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).