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The Fin Whale is a cosmopolitan species that is found in both the northern and southern hemispheres. It is more common in temperate waters than in tropical waters, however, the overall range is not well-known (Folkens 2002, Jefferson et al. 2008). They migrate seasonally through open ocean: "The general migratory pattern of fin whales, like most balaenopterids, is a movement between poleward feeding areas in the summer months and lower latitudes in the winter months...pregnant females arriving early (in feeding grounds) and leaving early" Mizrock et al. 1984). Aggregations of Fin Whales are reported in the US by Carretta et al. (2009): "More recent observations show aggregations of fin whales year round in southern/central California (Dohl et al. 1983; Barlow 1997; Forney et al. 1995), year-round in the Gulf of California (Tershy et al. 1993), in summer in Oregon (Green et al. 1992; McDonald 1994), and in summer/autumn in the Shelikof Strait/Gulf".

This species is infrequently observed off the BC coast. Gregr et al. (2006, 9) indicate that "historically, fin whales were frequently observed in exposed coastal seas (Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound) and occasionally in the more protected waters of Queen Charlotte Strait and the Strait of Georgia.....An analysis of whaling records from British Columbia whaling stations identified fin whale habitat along the continental shelf, in the exposed inland waters of Dixon Entrance and Hecate Strait, and in a region offshore of northern Vancouver Island". Summer feeding aggregations may be present off the coast of Vancouver Island (Gregr et al. 2006).

Gregr et al. (2006, 9-10) provide the following summary of sightings from 2002-2004: "75 fin whale sightings between 2002 and 2004 in off-shelf waters, near the shelf break boundary of Queen Charlotte Sound, in Hecate Strait, and in Dixon Entrance. Summer cruises in 2002 and 2003 sighted 12 fin whales in Queen Charlotte Sound. Recent summer sightings have also been made off southern Vancouver Island (COSEWIC 2004). An opportunistic winter cruise in February 2004 resulted in sightings off the north end of Vancouver Island and in Hecate Strait (CRP-DFO, unpublished data)."

The Pacific population of the Fin Whale has been designated as a threatened in Canada (Gregr et al. 2006--National Recovery Strategy). The reason for designation is given by Gregr et al. 2006) as: "Currently sighted only infrequently on former whaling grounds off British Columbia. Coastal whaling took at least 7,600 animals from the population between 1905 and 1967, and thousands of additional animals were taken by pelagic whalers through the 1970s. Catch rates from coastal whaling stations declined precipitously off British Columbia in the 1960s. Based on the severe depletion and lack of sufficient time for recovery, it is inferred that present population is below 50% of its level 60-90 years ago. Individuals continue to be at risk from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear".

Carretta et al. (2009) provide the following population information for this species in the North Pacific: "The initial pre-whaling population of fin whales in the North Pacific was estimated to be 42,000-45,000 (Ohsumi and Wada 1974). In 1973, the North Pacific population was estimated to have been reduced to 13,620-18,680 (Ohsumi and Wada 1974), of which 8,520-10,970 were estimated to belong to the eastern Pacific stock....There is some indication that fin whales have increased in abundance in California coastal waters between 1979/80 and 1991 (Barlow 1994) and between 1991 and 1996 (Barlow 1997), but these trends are not significant. Although the population in the North Pacific is expected to have grown since receiving protected status in 1976, the possible effects of continued unauthorized take (Yablokov 1994) and incidental ship strikes and gillnet mortality make this uncertain...Fishermen report that large rorquals (blue and fin whales) usually swim through nets without entangling and with very little damage to the nets." Knowlton et al. (2001) report that in an analysis of ship strikes on whale species, Fin Whales were most frequently hit and that "in some areas, one-third of all fin whale and right whale strandings appear to involve ship strikes."

Read the Canadian National Recovery Strategy for the Pacific population of this species.