The Fin Whales are the current stars of this spring’s whale watching season! We’ve been regularly seeing these gigantic baleen whales for the past two weeks during our Whale & Dolphin Watching cruises — 44 Fin Whales within 2 weeks! We’ve spotted most of the whales at an offshore area called the 9-Mile Bank, a productive area for sea life watching and sport fishing. The Fin Whales are probably attracted to the area by the huge schools of tiny baitfish, which along with krill, are an important food item for these giants. When we see the whales, they are often circling around and diving, which indicate feeding behavior below the surface. The best part, is that our whale watching crew, naturalists and guests have enjoyed spectacular up-close views of these whales and even a rare sighting of a fin whale fluke!
Fin (or Finback) Whales are found in oceans around the world. While we occasionally see Fin Whales during our cruises off the San Diego coast, they usually are seen in summer and in smaller numbers. Fin Whales are the second largest whale species, after the Blue Whale, attaining an impressive size of up to 80 feet long and 70 tons in weight. From a distance, Fin Whales can be spotted by their 20-foot tall spouts. Up close, they can be positively identified by their prominent dorsal fin, gray coloration with white streaks up the back, and bright white, lower right jaw.
You have a few more days to join us in search of fins and other baleen whales — our current season ends April 21.
