Minke Whale

Scientific name: Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Size: 20-30 feet
Weight: 5-10 tons
Speed: 18 mph
Status: Not endangered

Minke whales are one of the few species of large whales that are not endangered. They are found in every ocean and their population worldwide is near one million. These animals are the second smallest baleen whale in the world. The smallest is the pygmy right whale. Since these animals are not endangered, a few countries including Norway and Japan continue to hunt the Minke. In the US, the hunting of any marine mammal is illegal, with special exceptions made for some Native American tribes in the northwest.

Minkes have the same basic body shape as a Fin whale, but their markings are much different. Instead of a chevron marking on their back, Minkes have a slight washing pattern, or a faded area ahead of the dorsal fin. They also have white bands on each of their pectoral fins, or flippers. These bands are sometimes referred to as bracelets or mittens. 

The baleen of a Minke whale is off-white about one and a half feet long. The fringe on the inner edge of the baleen is short and course, looking somewhat like the bristles of a
toothbrush. They use their baleen to strain small schooling fish, such as herring, mackerel, capelin and sand eels, from the water. Sometimes, this species is observed charging back and forth through a school of fish.

Little is known about the Minke whale’s migratory habits. Although they are most frequently seen in the Gulf of Maine during the spring, summer and fall, many reports of Minke
sightings occur in the winter months. The elusive behavior of this species makes then relatively difficult to study. Sightings of the Minke whale usually consist of several quick
glimpses of the back and dorsal fin as it comes up for air. Occasionally, a Minke will become curious towards a boat and come in for a closer look. When this happens, the white bands
on the flippers can be seen underwater. Those bands will appear to be glowing bright green, but they are really white. They look like they are green due to the massive amounts of
phytoplankton, or plant matter, in the water.