{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "fin-whale",
  "name": "Fin Whale",
  "scientificName": "Balaenoptera physalus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "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.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Balaenopteridae",
    "genus": "Balaenoptera"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 50000,
    "lengthM": 22,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 85
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Balaenoptera physalus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — krill, small fish, and copepods (filter feeder)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Open oceans worldwide; migrates between feeding and breeding areas"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "80–90 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Up to 70,000 kg (154,000 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 40 km/h (25 mph); called the 'greyhound of the sea'"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "All major oceans from polar feeding grounds to temperate and tropical breeding areas; most abundant in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "Oceans",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Balaenoptera physalus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Balaenoptera%20physalus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Balaenoptera physalus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Balaenoptera_physalus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Fin Whale.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_whale"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/fin-whale/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/fin-whale/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}