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Minke spotted south of Armadale Skye in Sound of Sleat, Scotland
Photograph by Bob Balmer. Some rights reserved. |
Minke Whale surfacing, north of Husavik, Iceland
Photograph by Ville Miettinen. Some rights reserved. |
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MAMMAL FACTS
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Description
The Minke Whale is a small rorqual with a pointed head and relatively small rostrum (snout). The body is dark with paler grey on the lower flanks and underside. There are usually pale chevron markings behind the head. The flipper has a white band across the middle of the dorsal side, but this is difficult to see in the water. They have about 300 yellowish baleen plates on each side of the mouth. The underside has between 50-70 ventral grooves. The dorsal fin is tall and sickle shaped.
Other Names
Minke Whale
Size
length: to 10m long. Weight: 6000kg - 9000kg. Females are larger than males
Environment
Minke whales are usually found within 170km on land. They are often seen in estuaries, bays, fjords, and lagoons. They are found as far north as the polar ice fields.
Food
feeds primarily on krill and some small fish
Breeding
A single calf is born after a gestation period of 10 to 11 months. The calf weighs about 450 kg at birth. The young are weaned at 5 months
Range
Northern Minke whales are found in all oceans of the northern hemisphere. They prefer cooler waters to tropical waters.
Conservation Status
LR|nt
Classification
| Class: | Mammalia | | Order: | Cetacea | | Family: | Balaenopteridae | | Genus: | Balaenoptera | | Species: | acutorostrata | | Common Name: | Northern Minke Whale |
Relatives in same Genus
Sei Whale (B. borealis)
Bryde's Whale (B. edeni)
Blue Whale (B. musculus)
Fin Whale (B. physalus)
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