The National Antarctic Research Center shared footage of the second largest whale, the fin whale, which visited the waters near the Akademik Vernadsky station. This is stated on the page of the scientific center on the social network Facebook, reports UNN.
For the first time, Ukrainian polar explorers have documented a meeting with a fin whale, the second largest whale in the world. One of the world's largest whales visited the waters near our Akademik Vernadsky station,
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It is noted that an unexpected but long-awaited encounter with a whale, which can be up to 26 meters long and weigh 75 tons, occurred on March 6 in the Penola Strait near the Argentine Islands (this group includes Galindez Island, where the Vernadsky is located).
Although the observation lasted only a few minutes, our polar explorers managed to work with the animal. Vadym Tkachenko, a biologist of the 28th UAE, managed to take pictures of the giant and also to take skin and fat samples from it. Their further laboratory research will help to find out the sex of the whale, learn more about its condition and better understand the population structure of this species in the Antarctic,
The center adds that during whaling in the last century, fin whales were almost exterminated in the waters near Antarctica, but in recent years their population has been intensively restored, and they are returning to the places where they used to live.
Currently, these whales are regularly sighted in the northern Antarctic Peninsula and Drake Passage. We can expect that soon fin whale sightings will become regular near our station,
Recall
The National Antarctic Science Center shared footage of sea elephants, which are usually difficult to find in that area. The video was shot by Taras Peretyatko, a biologist of the 28th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition.