usually rise to surface at
after blowing, animal arches shallow angle so that dorsal
its back and rolls forward fin and head are visible
exposing the dorsal fin on the almost simultaneously; when
long dive; on sounding, the starting the long dive does
maximum amount of back in not usually arch the back as
the area of the dorsal fin much as the fin whale; on
which is exposed is approximately sounding, the maximum
2 times the height of amount of back in the area of
dorsal fin. the dorsal fin which is
exposed is approximately 1
times the height of the dorsal
fin.

BLOW

Tall (to 20 feet [6.1 m]); Similar shape but smaller--rarely
inverted cone (point down) taller than 10-15 feet
or elongated ellipse. (3.1-4.6 m).

DIVING

Dive for 5-15 (usually 6-7) Dive for 3-10 min; usually
min; blow 3-7 times or more blow at even intervals over
at intervals of up to several long periods of time; often
minutes, then dive again. visible just below the surface,
even on longer dives.

COLOR OF UNDERSIDES

White higher up on right Mostly gray; irregular whitish
than on left side. area on belly.

COLOR OF LOWER LIP

White on right, gray on left. Gray.

BALEEN PLATES

Right one-fifth to one-third Ash black with a blue tinge
in front white; all others and fine grayish bristles.
alternate bands of yellowish
white and bluish gray; bristles
grayish white.

Distribution

Fin whales are probably the most numerous and widely distributed large
whale species in the western North Atlantic.

Fin whales summer from below the latitude of Cape Cod, Mass., north to
the Arctic Circle. (They are frequently seen between New York and
Bermuda this time of year.) Within this zone they may sometimes be seen
very close to shore and appear to be concentrated between shore and the
1,000-fathom curve from at least lat. 41 deg.20' to 57 deg.00' N. In recent
years they have been reported in relatively large numbers in