MINKE WHALE (B) 



Balaenopteraacutorostratahacepede 1804 



Other Common Names 



Little piked whale, lesser rorqual, little finner, sharp- 

 headed firmer, grampus (Newfoundland), gibord (Quebec). 



Description 



Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale species in the 

 northern hemisphere, reaching maximum lengths of just over 

 30 feet (9.1 m). One of the most distinctive features of this 

 species is an extremely narrow, pointed, distinctly triangular 

 rostrum with a single head ridge, similar to but much sharper 

 than that of the fin whale (hence the common name 

 "sharp-headed finner"). Minke whales have a tall, falcate 

 dorsal fin located in the latter third of the back, in about the 

 same position as that of the sei whale, which often becomes 

 visible simultaneously with the low, usually inconspicuous 

 blow. 



Minke whales are black to dark gray on the back and white 

 on the belly and on the underside of the flippers. Portions of 

 the underside of the flukes may be steel bluish gray. They 

 have a diagonal band of white on each flipper, the extent and 

 orientation of which varies individually. 



Like the fin whale, minke whales (at least from the Pacific) 

 sometimes have a chevron on the back behind the head and 

 often have two regions of lightish-gray coloration on each 

 side— one just above and behind the flippers; another just in 

 front of and below the dorsal fin. These patches may be quite 

 conspicuous on some animals, indetectable on others. These 

 markings may also be present on Atlantic specimens, though 

 they have not yet been documented. The baleen, which may 

 be visible from close range when the animal is feeding, is 

 mostly yellowish white with fine white bristles. The posterior 

 plates (up to half) may be brown to black. 



Natural History Notes 



Minke whales are frequently found as single animals, 

 pairs, or trios, though they may congregate in areas of food 

 concentration in the northern seas during the spring and 

 summer. They are more likely to be seen up close than their 

 larger cousins— the blue, fin, and sei whales— because they 

 often closely approach boats, particularly stationary boats, as 

 if curious about them. 



Minke whales may also approach very close to shore and 

 often enter bays, inlets, and estuaries. 



Like fin whales, they often arch the tail stock high into the 

 air when beginning a long dive. However, they do not raise 

 the flukes above the surface when beginning a dive. 



Minke whales feed primarily on small shoal fish (herring, 

 cod, pollack, and capelin). 



Minkes sometimes breach, leaping completely clear of the 

 water and entering smoothly, head first, or with a substantial 

 splash like humpback whales. 



May Be Confused With 



When they are seen at relatively close range, minke 

 whales can be readily distinguished from the other rorquals 

 that have relatively tall, falcate dorsal fins (fin, sei, and 

 Bryde's whales) by their considerably smaller size and by 

 their distinctive white band on each flipper. 



At a distance, however, positive identification may be 

 difficult. Minke whales have a small, low, inconspicuous blow. 

 Like sei whales, they frequently expose the dorsal fin 

 simultaneously with the blow, but minke whales hump the 

 tail stock much higher when beginning a long dive — more like 

 fin whales. 



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Figure62. — The minke whale, at a maximum length of just over 30 feet (9.1 m), the smallest baleen 

 whale species of the western North Atlantic, is distributed in polar, temperate, and tropical waters. 

 These animals usually have a low, inconspicuous blow and are sometimes curious enough about 

 boats that they will alter their course to investigate them. Note the two areas of hght gray on the 

 sides of the body, characteristic of at least Pacific minke whales. {Photo from off British Columbia, 

 courtety of Nanaimo Free Press.) 



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