Finback whales in the Northern Hemisphere can reach a length of up to 75 feet (22.9 meters), while the Southern Hemisphere, the whales can reach a length of up to 85 feet (25.9 meters). Females are usually five to ten percent larger than the males. This species’ smooth body is light black on the sides and dorsum (back), and white on the belly.

Finback Whale: Federally Endangered

Finback whales are listed as endangered due to hunting by commercial whalers until the last century for oil, meat, and baleen (whalebone). While whaling is no longer considered as large a threat for finback whales these days, they’re still vulnerable to other factors like getting tangled in fishing gear, noise pollution which interferes with their ability to communicate, ship collisions, and offshore oil development.

How You Can Help the Finback Whale

Reduce your speed in known areas where finback whales appear. Keep a lookout for blows, fins, and always stay at least 100 yards away. Report whales that appear to be sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead to the closest organizations that are trained to respond to marine animals in distress.

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