Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus )
Family Balaenopteridae
Description: Second in size only to the blue whale, the largest fin whale recorded in waters of the Emirates near Jebel Ali measured nearly 20m in length. It is slender looking compared to the blue whale and capable of travelling at great speeds, perhaps exceeding 30 km/h. Recognisable by the asymmetrical colour pattern peculiar to this species. A pattern of white pigment extends from the undersides of the whale over the right lower jaw and into the mouth, sometimes even spreading as far as the upper right jaw. The coloration pattern is also borne by the baleen: the first third of the plates on the right side are white. The rest of the body is dark grey. Like the blue, sei and minke whales, with which the fin can be mistaken, there is a single ridge running along the top of the head from snout to blowholes.
Habitat: Known as an open-ocean dweller, this species also swims into coastal areas and it often enters shallow regions to breed. Fin whales usually feed in polar regions, although those of the UAE may be an exception.
Range: Includes both the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, where it may enter very shallow water leading to occasional strandings.
Comments: Fins are known to be gregarious whales, often occurring in groups of six or more individuals. It is thought that their subsonic call, because of its very low frequency, can carry for hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres beneath the water under the right conditions. In a sea busy with tanker traffic and other shipping movements it is unlikely that whales can communicate any substantial distance. In fact, it is more likely that the constant drone of large and small ships could adversely effect their normal behaviour and social structure.