The expert view

“Fin whales are known as ‘greyhounds of the sea’ due to their ability to travel at relatively high speeds. Individuals are capable of speeds up to 37km per hour with bursts of 47km per hour. They are predominantly found in deep, offshore water in all major oceans, but are more common in polar and temperate latitudes. The species is Red Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.”

Nicola Hodgins is a policy manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation