HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y.– A massive, endangered fin whale was caught on drone video swimming and feeding off the coast of Long Island, New York.
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on Earth, and they're fast swimmers, making it difficult to catch a glimpse of them.
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Video from Wednesday off Hampton Bays, shows a large fin whale, with its long sleek body, V-shaped head and trademark hooked dorsal fin on its back.
In the video, the drone kept up with the whale as it swam, diving in and out of water in search of food.
Drone operator Virginia Fitzgerald said she discovered the whale while watching a humpback whale feed.
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A pod of dolphins and seagulls joined the fin whale on its hunt.
In one clip, the whale opens its massive jaws, scooping in water and some source of food, most likely krill, small schooling fish or squid, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Fin whales are endangered after decades of whaling significantly reduced their populations in the mid-1900s.
They're protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Today, the primary threat to fin whales is vessel strikes.
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"Fin whales are probably the most vulnerable species to ship strikes after North Atlantic Right Whales," NOAA FIsheries said.
In mid-June, a cruise ship in Alaska was seen carrying the body of a pregnant, dead fin whale across its bow.
Early estimations believe the whale was hit by the cruise ship.
The most recent stock assessments of fin whale populations completed in 2016 estimated there were roughly 6,800 fin whales along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and Canada.
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