Research boat has extremely close encounter with fin whale

This video was shot while researching the whales with the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), for conservation purposes. The motor was turned off, to avoid any accidents. They must be admired from a safe distance, and must not be approached.The Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as Finback Whale and Common Rorqual, is the second largest whale in the world, and the second largest animal that has ever been recorded, reaching a length of 27.3 m (89.6 ft) and nearly 74 tonnes, although the average size in the Northern Hemisphere is about 18.5 m (61 ft) for adult males and 20 m (66 ft), for adult females, weighing 38.5 and 50.5 tonnes,respectively. In the Southern Hemisphere they are a bit larger, with males having and average length of 20.5 m (67 ft), and weighing 52.3 tonnes, and females being 22 m long (72 ft), and weighing 63 tonnes.