World's fastest whale caught in rare display

One of the world's fastest whales has been filmed leaping into the air in an impressive and rare show in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The usually reserved fin whale showed off in front of a boat full of impressed onlookers a fortnight ago at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea.

Weighing in at up to 80 tonnes, the fin whale is the second largest of its species only behind blue whales.

And it is one of the fastest in the world, with a cruising speed of about 37km/h and a top speed of 46km/h, The Wire reports.

Its speed through the water is helped by it long slender body, which was on show as it breached three times in the Gibraltar spectacular.

"Ooh la la," one spectator proclaimed in the video that has been uploaded online.

Not only are fin whales rare but being seen in their natural habitat is unusual, The Wire says.

Source: YouTube, The Wire.

Author: Kieran Campbell, Approving editor: Simon Black.