Community Corner
Huge Fin Whales Make a Show of It off Long Beach
Joining the party along our coast, the second-largest whale on Earth visits a wee tad early.
In an ordinary year, there is usually a lull for Long Beach whale watchers around this time. Not in 2011. While we are on the tail end of the gray whale migration, humpback whales have already been seen in the waters off Long Beach.
Now, fin whales have joined the party. The second-largest whales on the planet have been spotted for the past few days. On Monday, the 3 p.m. whale watch trip on board the Two Harbors out of Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach came upon these magnificent creatures. Captain Chris Batts pulled back on the throttle as he came upon two giant fin whales. “They looked like they were 60-footers,” said Batts. “What a great sight for the people on board.”
Fin whales usually show up in Long Beach water around May, so like the humpbacks, they are about a month early. The fin whale is second only to the blue whale in length and size. It can grow to 78 feet in length and weigh as much as 70 tons.
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Among the fastest of the great whales, the fin whale can reach speeds of up to 23 miles per hour and has been called the “greyhound of the sea.”
Fin whales feed mostly on krill and schooling fish. The leviathans have been observed circling schools of fish at high speeds, thereby rolling the schools of fish into compact balls for an easy meal. Fin whales can consume up to two tons of food per day.
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Fin whales are found in all the oceans of the world. Most often, they travel alone but sometimes are seen in mini-pods of three to seven.
As many as 30,000 fin whales were butchered each year from 1935 to 1965. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission placed them under full protection. Today, it is thought that there are about 40,000 fin whales in the Northern Hemisphere and 15,000 to 20,000 in the Southern Hemisphere, a fraction of their original population levels.
With humpback and fin whales arriving a month early, the question looms: Will the blue whales be early too? Blue whales normally show up at the end of May, but this year, whale watchers may get another early treat.
On the 3 p.m. whale watch trip today, the boat Christopher had word of another fin whale sighting off San Pedro. With any luck, her passengers are in for a terrific sight.