Fin Whales in the Salish Sea

• Main Author: Towers, Jared R.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2014
• Subjects: Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology; Balaenoptera physalus; baleen whales
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2014ssec/Day2/136

Historically, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were relatively common off the west coast of North America but very few records of their occurrence in the Salish Sea exist. Due to the potential for misidentification of fin whales with other species of baleen whales, we use photographs to confirm sightings of this species in these waters. A total of 11 sightings of 8 fin whales from 1999 to 2012 are reported. These records are the first of live fin whales in Georgia, Juan De Fuca and Johnstone Straits and are also the only confirmed sightings of live fin whales in the Salish Sea since 1930. Additionally, 11 dead fin whales all with evidence of having been struck by ships are also reported from the Salish Sea between 1986 and 2013. We suggest that because this recovering endangered species has a propensity for being struck by ships, that any fin whales in these busy inside waters may be at greater risk to ship strikes than in less confined waters further offshore.