Minke Whale

Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales, yet they are quick, agile swimmers found in oceans around the world. Known for their streamlined bodies and wide range of behaviors, they can dive for long periods, travel great distances, and feed in both solitary and group settings. Despite facing predation from orcas and ongoing pressure from whaling in some regions, global populations of minke whales remain relatively robust.

Incredible Minke Whale Facts

• These whales can swim up to 24 miles per hour to escape a Killer Whale or try to keep up with a ship.
• Spotting this whale is not very easy since their flukes don’t rise out of the water before they dive beneath the surface.
• When they feed, these whales may stay with a large group; however, at other times, they prefer to be alone or with just one or two other whales.
• Minke whales can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name for these whales is Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Balaenoptera means a winged whale, and acutorostrata translates to sharp snout. The common name was given to them by an inexperienced Norwegian Whaling Spotter, Meincke. He initially thought the Minke Whale was a Blue Whale, but was mistaken. Minke Whales are also sometimes called Lesser Rorquals, Sharp-Headed Finners, Lesser Finbacks, Little Finners, and Pike Whales.

Evolutionary History

The early ancestor of all whales actually walked on land and is a four-legged animal that is recognized by scientists as one of the first cetaceans. This ancestor was Pakicetus, or “first whale”, and roamed the earth around 50 million years ago. From this animal, generations later began to adapt to life in the water slowly, one of them being Ambulocetus, and finally, Dorudon, which is the animal that gave us the modern whale.

Approximately 30 to 34 million years ago, near the end of the Eocene and the beginning of the Oligocene, it is believed that baleen whales first developed. The first baleen-type whale, the now-extinct Maiabalaena nesbittae, existed during this time. As baleen doesn’t become a fossil, it was a bit trickier to estimate the exact date of when this development occurred.

Types of Minke Whales

The minke whale is part of the Mammalia class and belongs to the Balaenopteridae family. The Balaenopteridae includes eight different species of Baleen Whales, including Humpback Whales, Blue Whales, and Fin Whales.

There are two different species of these whales. They are the Common, or Northern, Minke Whale, and the Antarctic, or Southern, Minke Whale. Balaenoptera Acutorostrata is the scientific name for Northern Minke Whales. Balaenoptera bonaerensis is the scientific name for Southern Minke Whales. The currently unnamed subspecies of the Northern minke whale is the Dwarf minke whale.

Appearance

While these whales are about 35 feet long and can weigh up to 20,000 pounds, they are actually the smallest member of the Baleen Whale family. The females in this species are often a little larger than the males.

The body of a Northern Minke Whale is dark gray to black. Their bellies are white, and they have a light chevron marking on their backs behind their heads. The patterns and coloring in this species can vary from whale to whale, typically based on their geographic location. There is also some variation with the baleen, or keratin plates, hanging from the mouths of these whales. They will have somewhere between 240 and 360 baleen plates. Northern Minke Whales also have a white band on their flippers.

There is a subspecies of the Northern Whale called the Dwarf Minke Whale. As their name suggests, this subspecies does not grow to be as large as Common Minke Whales. They typically only weigh about 14,000 pounds and are around 26 feet long. Another difference between Dwarf and Common Minke Whales is that they have a black border around their baleen plates. Their pectoral fin also includes a bright white patch that reaches up towards their back and shoulder area.

The second main species of Minke Whales, Antarctic, or Southern Minke Whales, also have some differences from the Northern Minke Whales. They have between 200 and 300 plates of baleen on the sides of their mouth. Unlike Common and Dwarf Minke Whales, which have a white band on their pectoral fins, a Southern Minke Whale’s flippers are gray with a white edge. Another difference in this species is that they have asymmetric baleen. The left side of their mouth has a smaller number of baleen plates than the right side.

Distribution, Population, and Habitat

These whales can be found in many places around the globe. While they prefer boreal (northern) or more temperate water habitats, this species is also sometimes found swimming in tropical or subtropical waters. When feeding, they often seek out cooler water at a higher latitude. These whales may choose to swim in either inshore or offshore waters.

These whales feed about 62 feet beneath the surface of the water. The maximum depth they’ll dive to is about 350 feet beneath the surface.

Their preferred habitat can often be predicted by their age, sex, and reproductive status. In most cases, older males tend to stay closer to the edge of the ice in the polar regions during the feeding season in the summer. Older females, on the other hand, typically choose to stay in more coastal waters, but still at a higher latitude. During the summer feeding season, younger and more immature whales tend to choose to remain at lower latitudes.

Northern Minke Whales are found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. During the summer, they tend to stay closer to the edge of the Arctic ice. In the winter months, they may be found almost as far south as the equator.

During the summer, Dwarf Minke Whales tend to stay closer to the southern polar regions. They can also be found in warmer water at lower latitudes than other whales. For example, this subspecies may be found along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or near South Africa, or South America.

Antarctic Minke Whales can be found in many different locations in the Southern Hemisphere. This species has been spotted near Brazil, in the Strait of Magellan, along Southern Chile, and near New Zealand and Australia.

Both Common and Antarctic Minke Whales engage in seasonal migration. They will stay closer to the North or South Pole in the spring and will swim towards more tropical waters in the fall and winter. Because of the difference in when the season occurs in the different hemispheres, Common and Antarctic Whales don’t meet and/or mix near the equator. These whales may swim up to 263 miles when they migrate.

These whales are not an endangered species. Common Minke Whales currently have a conservation status of Least Concern from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Scientists estimate there are at least 180,000 to 200,000 Common Minke Whales.

Although its numbers are greater, the Antarctic Minke whale is at a slightly higher risk of becoming endangered. It is listed as Near Threatened according to the IUCN. It is estimated that there are about 500,000 whales of this species left.

Predators and Prey

Predators: What Eats a Minke Whale?

Killer Whales pose the greatest threat to these whales. In the Antarctic, some populations of Type A killer whales may have diets composed of up to 85% minke whales, but this is not representative of killer whales globally. If a Killer Whale is chasing down a Minke whale, the minke whale will try to get away by swimming very quickly. In open water, they are capable of maintaining a speed of 9 to 18 miles per hour as they try to escape. The whale has the best chance of escaping in these open water scenarios since they have greater endurance for long distances than Killer Whales do. Other times, though, Killer Whales can corner these whales in a harbor or bay. In these scenarios, the whale has a much smaller chance of survival.

Humans also played a role in decreasing the whale population. While initially this species of whale was seen as too small to be worth it, after populations of other species began to decrease, they were targeted as well. While commercial whaling is banned by the International Whaling Commission, some countries, including Norway, Japan, and Iceland, continue to hunt minke whales legally under objections or reservations to the ban.

What do Minke Whales Eat?

The Common Minke whale that lives in the North Atlantic Ocean eats a variety of different types of food. Some of these include Krill, Herring, Sand Eels, Capelin, and sprat. Common Minke Whales that live in the North Pacific eat Japanese Anchovy, Pacific Saury, and Krill.

An Antarctic Whale’s diet consists of Antarctic Krill, Ice Krill, Antarctic Jonasfish, Antarctic Lanternfish, Antarctic Silverfish, Notothenia, and Chionodraco.

Reproduction and Lifespan

These whales will reach sexual maturity when they are about 23 feet long. For the Common species, this occurs when they are between 3 and 8 years old, and for Antarctic Whales, it occurs when they are between 7 and 8 years old. Scientists are still unsure about how these whales mate, as it has never been observed.

The gestation period for these whales is about 10 months. Scientists have speculated that a mother will nurse and stay with her calves until they are between four and six months old. Females normally have a calf about once every two years.

These whales have a long lifespan; they can live to be up to 50 years old.

Use in Fishing and Cooking

While animal organizations are trying to prevent the deaths of more whales through whaling, these whales are still targeted and caught in some areas of the world, particularly in Norway and Iceland, where quotas for minke whale hunting continue to be issued as of 2025. In Iceland, this whale meat is a common offering. Tourists consider it an exotic treat when they visit Reykjavik. However, the facts of the matter are that eating whale meat encourages whaling to continue and can endanger whales like this.