# What Do Fin Whales Eat?

> What fin whales eat: Carnivore — krill, small fish, and copepods (filter feeder), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Open oceans worldwide; migrates between feeding and breeding areas.

- **Species:** Fin Whale (*Balaenoptera physalus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Carnivore — krill, small fish, and copepods (filter feeder)
- **Habitat:** Open oceans worldwide; migrates between feeding and breeding areas
- **Lifespan:** 80–90 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 40 km/h (25 mph); called the 'greyhound of the sea'
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/fin-whale/what-do-fin-whale-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/fin-whale/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. A fast baleen whale capable of 40 km/h bursts, it filters krill and small fish and is listed Vulnerable after decades of commercial whaling.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Filter feeding at scale

Fin whales gulp enormous mouthfuls of water and strain krill and fish through baleen plates — keratin fringes hanging from the upper jaw. They lunge-feed in productive upwellings and may cooperate loosely to concentrate prey.

## Help protect the Fin Whale

Fin whales were hunted to the edge of extinction and still face ship strikes in busy shipping lanes.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/fin-whale/what-do-fin-whale-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.