The Fin Whale inhabits all oceans although it apparently avoids shallow waters and coastal regions. The largest population seems to be in the Antarctic waters, although they have been observed swimming in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Their bodies are long and slender and they have fifty to 100 tactile hairs on the tips of the lower and upper jaws, with a distinctive clump of hairs at the tip of the lower jaw.
Fin whales are dark gray to brown on their dorsal and flank regions while their belly is white.
Fin whales can reach 88 feet in length while the females are slightly larger than the males. Calves are born after an 11.5 month gestation period and weigh about 4 tons. They travel in pods of approximately 100 animals in the breeding waters but during migration they form groups of 10 or so. Since 1978 the Marine Mammal Stranding Center has handled 13 Fin Whale strandings.