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Description
The second largest animal on the planet, the Fin whale is only surpassed in size by the Blue whale. Despite its huge proportions they are amongst the fastest of the great whales and (unlike what I erroneously stated before) the true bearers of the nickname 'Greyhound of the sea'. They got this name from American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews, "for its beautiful, slender body is built like a racing yacht and the animal can surpass the speed of the fastest ocean steamship." Up to a 100 ventral pleats line their throat and belly, allowing them to hold 60 000 kilos of water in their mouth - which is more than they weigh themselves.

This species is no doubt the best known asymmetrically coloured cetacean, even if many more species (such as the Dwarf and Antarctic minke whale, and even Bottlenose dolphins) also have uneven markings. On their right side Fin whales are remarkable light, with a great light grey rostral saddle and an all white lower jaw, Even the baleen are largely tinted yellow instead of black. However, with all previous whales facing left and for the sake of consistency, the much darker left side is shown here - which, I discovered, is no less intricately patterned than the right

Description
The second largest animal on the planet, the Fin whale is only surpassed in size by the Blue whale. Despite its huge proportions they are amongst the fastest of the great whales and (unlike what I erroneously stated before) the true bearers of the nickname 'Greyhound of the sea'. They got this name from American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews, "for its beautiful, slender body is built like a racing yacht and the animal can surpass the speed of the fastest ocean steamship." Up to a 100 ventral pleats line their throat and belly, allowing them to hold 60 000 kilos of water in their mouth - which is more than they weigh themselves.

This species is no doubt the best known asymmetrically coloured cetacean, even if many more species (such as the Dwarf and Antarctic minke whale, and even Bottlenose dolphins) also have uneven markings. On their right side Fin whales are remarkable light, with a great light grey rostral saddle and an all white lower jaw, Even the baleen are largely tinted yellow instead of black. However, with all previous whales facing left and for the sake of consistency, the much darker left side is shown here - which, I discovered, is no less intricately patterned than the right