The Ukrainian Antarctic Station "Akademik Vernadsky" recorded its first encounter with a fin whale, the second largest whale in the world, the National Antarctic Research Center reported.
Polar explorers spotted the whale on March 6 in the Penola Strait, near the Argentine Islands, where the station is located. They only had a few minutes to observe the animal, but they managed to take photos and take samples of its skin and blubber.
Further laboratory studies will help determine the whale's sex, learn more about its condition, and understand the population structure of this species in Antarctica.
Fin whales can grow up to 26 meters long and weigh up to 75 tons. In the last century, fin whale populations in Antarctic waters were almost wiped out due to whaling. However, in recent years, their numbers have begun to recover.
