🌿Native Nature

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Artiodactyla ›Family: Balaenopteridae ›Genus: Balaenoptera

About

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as finback whale, razorback whale, common rorqual whale, herring whale, or greyhound whale is a marine mammal belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-largest mammalian on the Earth after the blue whale. The largest reportedly grow to 27.3 m (89.6 ft) long with a maximum confirmed length of 25.9 m (85 ft), a maximum recorded weight of nearly 74 tonnes (73 long tons; 82 short tons), and a maximum...

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Fin Whale?
The scientific name of Fin Whale is Balaenoptera physalus.
What is the conservation status of Fin Whale?
The Fin Whale has a conservation status of Vulnerable.
What kingdom does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
What phylum does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the phylum Chordata.
What class does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the class Mammalia.
What order does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the order Artiodactyla.
What family does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the family Balaenopteridae.
What genus does Fin Whale belong to?
Fin Whale belongs to the genus Balaenoptera.

In the News

Huge fin whale filmed off Welsh coast

Rhys Morgan captured footage of the world's second-largest whale species lunge feeding on his drone.

BBC Science & Environment · 10/20/2026

Moment giant fin whale's huge mouth engulfs thousands of gallons of water

Videographer Rhys Morgan captured footage of the worlds second largest whale lunge feeding on his drone.

BBC Science & Environment · 10/20/2026

New global maps chart 40 years of ocean heat and acidification extremes

Between 2014 and 2015, a marine heatwave known as “The Blob” warmed an area of the Pacific Ocean larger than the United States and Mexico combined. The massive event fueled toxic algae blooms, collapsed fisheries, killed off millions of emaciated seabirds, sent dead fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and sea otters washing up on Alaska and […]

Mongabay · 9/29/2026

Can we stop ships from killing the Mediterranean’s last great whales?

Collisions with ships are a leading anthropogenic killer of the Mediterranean’s two endangered large-bodied cetacean species, sperm and fin whales. In 2025, thousands of vessels traveled through the Mediterranean’s key whale habitats at speeds above 15 knots (28 km/h), the threshold at which vessel strikes are almost always fatal, according to an analysis by Magma […]

Mongabay · 9/14/2026