A whale briefly surfaced between Mallorca and Menorca on August 11, 2026, and a local report identified it as probably a fin whale. That identification has not been independently confirmed in the available reporting, and no size measurement was reported for this individual. Fin whales are the second-largest living animals after blue whales, but species-level size figures do not tell us how large this whale was.
What whale was seen near Mallorca?
Mallorca Magazin reported on August 11, 2026, that a large whale surfaced briefly between Mallorca and Menorca before submerging. The report described it as “vermutlich”—probably—a fin whale. It did not provide a precise location, distance from shore, event time, or evidence of an expert confirmation.
That makes “probably a fin whale” the careful description, rather than a confirmed identification. The report does not establish that the animal was measured, tagged, or scientifically assessed during the encounter.
How big is a fin whale?
Fin whales are the second-largest living animals, after blue whales, according to NOAA Fisheries. Published size descriptions differ by source and refer to the species, not the Mallorca sighting:
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| Source | Species-level size description |
|---|---|
| International Union for Conservation of Nature, February 18, 2026 | Mediterranean fin whales can grow up to 22 metres long and weigh up to 75,000 kilograms. |
| ORCA, publication year not stated on the page | Length range of 19–27 metres. |
These figures should not be combined into a measurement of the whale seen near the Balearic Islands. No length or weight for that individual was reported.
What features help identify a fin whale?
ORCA describes a tall blow, a swept-back dorsal fin and distinctive asymmetrical coloration on the lower jaw: dark on the left and white on the right. Those features can help observers identify fin whales. However, the Mallorca report does not document enough identifying details to verify the species from those traits.
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What other whale monitoring is happening in the region?
A separate project by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) recorded 127 fin whale sightings off the Marina Alta during a campaign running from May 25 to July 6, 2026. The team used a drone to photo-identify more than 80 individuals, according to UPV’s July 13, 2026 report. Those results describe a monitoring effort off the Marina Alta; they do not confirm the Mallorca-area animal or estimate a population around Mallorca.
The Mallorca Magazin report also mentions earlier encounters near Formentor in April 2025 and near Ibiza in June 2025. These separate sightings provide regional context, but do not establish a trend in whale abundance.
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UPV’s report quotes researchers Xavi and María describing the Marina Alta as “probably the best spot in Europe for whale watching from the coast,” where sightings can be enjoyed with binoculars. That comment concerns the Marina Alta, not the Mallorca encounter, and does not indicate what equipment—if any—was used to observe the reported whale.
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What this sighting does—and does not—tell us
- It records a brief whale emergence reported between Mallorca and Menorca on August 11, 2026.
- The local report’s fin whale identification is tentative; the available reporting does not show independent expert validation.
- No precise location, individual measurement, or explanation for why the whale surfaced was reported.
- A single sighting, or a video of one, cannot establish a population trend or explain the animal’s behaviour.
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