Massive Pod Of More Than 1,000 Endangered Fin Whales Spotted Near Antarctica

When Herman Melville wrote his epic Moby Dick, he gave an account of fin whales, describing them as “gifted with such wondrous power and velocity in swimming, as to defy all present pursuit from man.”

He also added that they are “very shy; always going solitary.”

What he couldn’t have known was that this last part was dead wrong — Melville was seeing a behavioral adaptation to the rampant whaling that was decimating the finback population at an astonishing rate.

Now, more than a century after Moby Dick was published, and nearly 50 years after the protests to “save the whales” that brought awareness to their plight, fin whales are showing their social side.

From onboard the polar cruiser National Geographic Endurance, self-professed “whale nerd” Conor Ryan documented an astonishing assembly of fin whales, more than 1,000 in 5 square miles.

“Upwards of 200 blows visible in the air at any one time, so our estimate might be conservative!” Ryan added on Twitter.

We found about 1000 fin whales over a 5×5 mile area off South Orkney. Blue and humpback also mixed in. Mind completely blown 🐳 @LindbladExp #NationalGeographicEndurance pic.twitter.com/xtdvexXwI5

— Conor Ryan (@whale_nerd) January 14, 2022

Passing by the South Orkney Islands near the Antarctic Peninsula, the fin whales, which are the second-largest creature in the world, fed on massive amounts of tiny shrimp.

“Words fail me,” Ryan told The Guardian. “I have seen maybe 100 fins here before in previous years.”

Writing on Twitter, Ryan shared that his mind was “completely blown” by the vast number of finbacks, as well as blue and humpback whales in the area. These whales, which can live up to 140 years, may finally be returning to their foraging grounds in groups after the disruption of the previous centuries’ whaling.

Their numbers are still low, however — fin whales are classified as endangered. NOAA currently works to monitor their populations and “foster healthy fisheries and reduce the risk of entanglements, create whale-safe shipping practices, and reduce ocean noise.”

See more from Conor Ryan on Twitter or learn more about fin whales from NOAA here!