Hobbies And Interests
Size and Appearance
Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales. They have two flippers marked with a white band on their undersides. The tops of their bodies are dark gray or black. They have two blowholes like other baleen whales and a pointed, narrow snout. Their dorsal fins are small and on their backs, near their tails, they have small ridges. Minke whales average 25 to 30 feet in length and can weight 6 to 7.5 tons. Females are larger than males by an average of 2 feet.
Diet
Like other baleen whales, minke whales eat plankton, krill and small fish. They feed by swimming with their mouths open or by chasing a school of fish and gulping their prey. Minke whales are seasonal feeders, meaning they feed on prey migrating through through their habitat waters at any given time of year. While minke whales typically travel at three to 16 miles per hour, when feeding they decrease their speed of travel to one to six miles per hour.
Habitat
Minke whales are found in oceans around the world. There are two recognized species of minke whale--the common or northern minke whale and the Antarctic minke whale. Minke whales prefer temperate waters but can also be found in tropical and subtropical areas. The whales tend to live and feed near the surface of the water. Due to their small size they can feed in both coastal waters and further out in oceans.
Social Behavior
Minke whales tend to travel alone or in small groups of only two to three whales. Larger groups of whales have been observed, but are less common. Like other whales, minkes communicate via a complex system of vocalizations. Female minke whales breed in the winter and their gestation period is approximately 10 months. Minke whales give birth to only one calf at a time.