BLOW 



Tall (to 20 feet (6.1 m]); 

 inverted cone (point down) 

 or elongated ellipse. 



Similar shape but smaller— 

 rarely taller than 10-15 feet 

 (3.1-4.6 m). 



COLOR OF LOWER LIP 

 White on right, gray on left. Gray. 



BALEEN PLATES 



DIVING 



Dive for 5-15 (usually 6-7) 

 min; blow 3-7 times or more 

 at intervals of up to several 

 minutes, then dive again. 



Dive for 3-10 min; usually 

 blow at even intervals over 

 long periods of time; often 

 visible just below the sur- 

 face, even on longer dives. 



Ash black with a blue tinge 

 and fine grayish bristles. 



COLOR OF UNDERSIDES 



White higher up on right 

 than on left side. 



Mostly gray; irregular whit- 

 ish area on belly. 



Right one-fifth to one-third 

 in front white; all others 

 alternate bands of yellowish 

 white and bluish gray; bris- 

 tles grayish white. 



Distribution 



Fin whales are probably the most numerous and widely 

 distributed large whale species in the western North 

 Atlantic. 



y J' 



Figure 15. —The heads of fin whales surfacing to breathe off Japan and in the northern North Atlantic ( inse tl . When they can be approached from the right 

 side, fin whales can be positively distinguished from the other large balaenopterine species by the white coloration of the right lower lip and the flat, narrow 

 head. Note also the single central head ridge. [J>hotoi by Japaneie Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura, and K. C. BaUomb [inset].) 



27 



