Up here in Kodiak Alaska, Fin whales are frequent visitors to Uyak Bay. There are a lot of differences between these animals and the Humpback Whales I usually see and film in Southeast Alaska, because they are designed for a different part of the ocean. Instead of focusing on maneuvering in the tight, high-current inland waters, the Fin whale is made for cruising the high seas.

Streamlined, long, smooth and fast, the Fin whale doesn't have long pectoral fins like a Humpback, instead going with smaller, straight-edged drag-reducing fins. They also don't have any bumps, barnacles, or other irregularities, with their whole design centered around moving fast. All these adaptations pay off, with a cruising speed of 23mph, and a sprint speed of 29mph!

These are the fastest of the great whales. They use their speed to outrun their only natural predator, the Orca, as they can cruise at a higher speed than the Orca can, though the Orca can still beat them over short distances in a sprint.

The other use of their streamlining, is to make swimming great distances as efficient as possible. These whales' migrations from different feeding grounds to breeding grounds sometimes cover thousands of miles of open sea, and to make these long journeys efficiency is key.

There's a lot more to learn about the Fin Whale, and I'm hoping to find out more myself this summer by observing our local population here in Kodiak!