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Length: 20-30 feet
Weight:
6-8 tons
Status: common
The minke’s Latin name means
“baleen whale with a pointed snout". Legend has it that the
Minke got its name from a Norwegian whaler whose last name was
Meinke.
The story goes that this whaler used to exaggerate the size of the
whales he caught, and the other whalers referred to these small
whales as “Meinke’s whales”. This name changed to
Minke
over time.
Minkes are still being hunted
for their meat in certain countries such as Norway, Iceland and
Japan
Coloration: Minkes are dark gray on
their dorsal (top) side, and have white bands on their flippers
known as “Minke Mittens”. (Minkes in the Southern Hemisphere lack
these bands.) Minkes also have a small “blaze” on their back behind
the blowhole, similar to that of a fin whale’s chevron. This blaze
is used by some researchers to identify individual minkes in the
field.
Feeding: Minkes have 200-300 baleen
plates (made of keratin) on each side of their upper jaw. They use
this filtering system to feed on schooling fish (such as herring and
anchovies) and plankton.
Migration: The migration patterns of
minkes are not well known. It is believed that some individuals may
stay in the Gulf of Maine throughout the year, possibly moving
farther south in the winter.
Mating/Calving: Gestation for minkes is
about 10-11 months. The calf nurses for about 7 months. Most minkes
in the southern Gulf of Maine are believed to be juvenile whales
because they are rarely seen with calves.
Whale
watching: Minkes surface quickly - look for a dark back and tall
dorsal fin. They normally dive
for 3-8 minutes, but have the ability to dive for up to 20 minutes.
Minkes do occasionally breach out of the water!
Population Status: Approximately
500,000 to 1 million worldwide. Minkes are not endangered and are,
in fact, one of the most abundant whale species. |
