Wildlife & Railway Art - Frédérique Lucas

A Myriad of Mysticetes

Here they are, the very last of 2021’s commissioned illustrations (spare some that can’t be released yet pending publication, a couple of duplicates and one single Melon-headed whale I somehow didn’t manage to fit in anywhere) - and the last of the bad alliteration titles. The grand bearded whales, the Mysticetes, or, more specifically, the Balaenoptera genus. (The minkes also belong to this genus, but they already got their own poster thingy.)

When seen as a fleeting back at sea, they might appear like rather boring grey blobs compared to their more interestingly marked dolphin cousins. And older illustrations would agree. I think it has a lot to do with their size (hard to get a proper overview of a 20 m animal) as well as the delicacy of their markings, requiring really good conditions to show up in photos. However, as technology and opportunities developed and more and more footage of these animals emerges, a different picture emerges too: that of a complex, and intricately marked animal just as beautiful as any dolphin.

Having them all in a row it is interesting to compare markings. Chevrons (the V-shaped markings over the pectoral fin, meeting on the back) are a fan favourite, as well as the a white ear lines, “flipper shadows” (dark markings originating from the armpit), and a lighter grey lateral field covering much of their side. Only the Blue whale seems to miss out, though they’ve got a light chevron over the eye and lots of spots to make up for it. I thought it interesting to add my (older) Omura’s whale illustrations too, because at first glance they’re very similar to Fin whales, but upon closer inspection one can find many differences. 

I hope you will enjoy these last of the illustrations, and join me in marvelling at the hidden beauty of big Balaenopterids.