Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus
The second-largest whale species on Earth at 75 to 85 feet, fin whales are fast swimmers. Look for an asymmetric jaw: the right lower lip is white while the left is dark, visible when they surface near Channel Islands whale-watching grounds.
About 2× as long as a school bus, nose to tail.
A fin whale runs about 80 ft. Lined up against a school bus everyone already has a mental ruler for, each one 39.3 ft per the manufacturer's own spec sheet.
School bus: 39.3 ft (472 in), Blue Bird Vision 72-passenger conventional bus, manufacturer spec sheet.
Drawn to the same scale. 80 ÷ 39.3 ≈ 2.
Fin whale abundance off California, Oregon, and Washington has climbed for decades — doubling in California waters alone between 1991 and 1993, and averaging 7.5% annual growth from 1991 to 2014. NOAA's current best estimate is 11,065 whales, up from 9,029 just a few years earlier, with signs of recovery tracing back to 1979. The global species followed the same arc: IUCN moved fin whales worldwide from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2018, after the population roughly doubled since the 1970s.NOAA Fin Whale CA/OR/WA Stock SAR, rev. 5/14/2024 source →
NOAA's Bayesian trend model: fin whale abundance off California, Oregon, and Washington grew from about 1,744 in 1991 to 9,029 by 2014 — 7.5% annual growth, roughly a fivefold increase. NOAA's current best estimate, from a newer model using 2018 survey data, is higher still: 11,065.
At a glance
Length/weight/lifespan/diet: NOAA Fisheries species page →
Fin whale abundance off California, Oregon, and Washington has climbed for decades — doubling in California waters alone between 1991 and 1993, and averaging 7.5% annual growth from 1991 to 2014. NOAA's current best estimate is 11,065 whales, up from 9,029 just a few years earlier, with signs of recovery tracing back to 1979. The global species followed the same arc: IUCN moved fin whales worldwide from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2018, after the population roughly doubled since the 1970s.
NOAA Fin Whale CA/OR/WA Stock SAR, rev. 5/14/2024 source →
HOW RARITY IS JUDGED →What to look for
Best months to see
Last 30 days
This chart includes numerical reports only. Uncounted sightings do not appear in its totals; see the daily archive for presence reports.
Where to go (operators publish dated sighting reports)
We monitor public trip reports across Newport Beach, Long Beach, Dana Point and San Diego. Reporting schedules vary; summaries show the latest available report. Newport's shared feed is counted once.