Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Summary 2
The Common Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is the smallest species of rorqual whale, one of the baleen whales. Minke whales are found throughout the world's oceans where they feed on plankton such as copepods and krill, and fish. Much less is known about the migrations, social behaviors, and life cycle of Minke whales compared to some of the larger whales.
Length 25-30 feet (7-10 m)
Weight 20,000-30,000 lbs (9,000-14,000 kg)
Minke whales typically have a splash of white on their pectoral fins visible in the photograph above which researchers take to calling "minke mittens". Minke whales are commonly sighted on whale watch tours as they frequent many of the same feeding areas as the other baleen whales.
Population and Conservation Status 3
Global Population is likely more than 1,000,000 animals. Making the Minke whale by far the most numerous baleen whale species.
The Minke whale is classified as Least Concern
Threats 3
Minke whales present in coastal waters have been hunted for centuries but they were not often the target of large commercial operations because of their small size. Minke whales only began to be targeted after the larger whales were depleted. After the international ban on whaling in 1986, hunting of minke whales has decreased.
Today Minke whales continued to be hunted, particularly in coastal areas off of Norway and Iceland. In most of the Minke's range these whales are threatened by entanglement in fishing gear and by impacts such as climate change, pollution, and excess noise.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Rui Prieto, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bac_rp_002.jpg
- Adapted by Bodacious Dream - Dave Rearick from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaenoptera_acutorostrata
- (c) Bodacious Dream - Dave Rearick, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
