ENDANGERED: The Fin Whale

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Image Credit: Amila Tennakoon via Flickr 

As the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) writes, 'next to the blue whale, the fin whale is the second largest mammal in the world'. They are distinguishable by their small dorsal fin and the contrasting colours of their lower jaw. The 'right is bright white and the...left jaw is black'. 

This comes in useful when hunting. It is thought that the whale surrounds fish, showing the white side of their jaw, 'frightening them into denser schools that are easier for the whale to catch'.

The whale can live for over 90 years and has a 'gestation period' of 'about 12 months'.

Why are they endangered?

Whales have been at risk since humans began to hunt them for food and oil. In some areas of the world, this is still happening today. However, according to WWF, 'commercial whalers' have not hunted the fin whale since 'last century' as it has been listed as endangered.

Image Credit: Deepti Hari via Flickr

Despite this, 'Iceland still hunts and kills fin whales'. In addition, fin whales are often hit by ships or boats.

Other threats, which all marine life faces, are of course pollution and global warming, 'habitat loss, toxics and climate change'.

What is being done?

Although steps have been taken to persuade Iceland to end their hunting of fin whales, there has of yet been no progress. 

The fin whale faces a lot of the threats faced by other marine life, and as such these will not cease until steps are taken to save this environment. 

Recently plastic, a big polluter and killer in the ocean, has been found 'at the bottom of the world's deepest ocean trench'.

Serious steps need to be taken if we are to save the marine life of the ocean. One thing is for sure: we must stop treating the ocean as a dumping ground as if we own it. Nothing on this earth belongs to us and we need to stop acting like it does before we kill everything on it.

Lead Image Credit: Amila Tennakoon via Flickr