WorldWideWhale.com
A Web site dedicated to Cetaceans, the whales and dolphins of this blue planet,
and the people who fight to save them.
and the people who fight to save them.
January 01, 2008
Government silent on whaler watching
full story...
December 24, 2007
Ferry speed called key to collisions with whales
full story...
December 22, 2007
Japan commits to commercial whaling despite humpback backdown
full story...
December 21, 2007
More action needed to save whales
full story...
Minke Whale Facts
| Size: | Males reach sizes up to 36 feet, and females somewhat larger, at 38 feet in length. Newborn calves are from eight to nine feet in length. The average weight of Minke whales is between eight and thirteen tons. |
| Appearance: | They are a dark slate gray, with the color changing to a paler gray or white on their belly. Some shading occurs on the sides, and a few can be found with a white band across each flipper. Minke whales have a sharply pointed snout, with a ridge on their head running toward their tail. |
| Life Span: | 33 - 50 years. The age at sexual maturity is unknown, but likely between six and seven years of age. it has been said that females become sexually mature at 7.3 m and males at 6.7-7.0 m in length. Females may give birth every year. |
| Diet: | Baleen whale which feeds by scooping up huge quantities of water feed on krill and small, free swimming mollusks. |
| Activity: | Minke whales are often difficult to approach, but are curious and will often investigate boats. Once underwater, their behavior is erratic. They are moderate to fast swimmers, and sometimes can be seen spy hopping and breaching. They will typically blow five to eight times in under a minute before diving for three to eight minutes. They can stay underwater for as long as 20 minutes. They are normally found as individuals or in groups up to three. When group feeding they can be found in numbers up to 100. |
| Society: | The Minke Whale has three recognizable subspecies. Usually they are more concentrated in higher latitudes during the summer and lower in the winter. Migrations vary from year to year. It has been found that some groups seem to be resident year-round. Recent studies seem to indicate that individuals may have home ranges. They will often enter estuaries, bays and inlets, and may be found hunting around islands or headlands. Minke Whales are also known as:
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