Minke whale

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Group formation: Solitary

Size: males 6-8m, females 7-9m, calf 2.5m

Weight: males 4tons, females 5 (10)tons, calf 400kg

Spout: 2m, hard to see

Age: 50-60 yrs

Sexual maturity: 6-8 yrs

Physical maturity: 18-20 yrs

Gestation: 10mths, every 2 years

Weaning: 5-10 months

Diet: Krill in the northern areas, but also herring or capelin

Distribution: Cosmopolitan species, common minke whales are commonly seen during summer months in the northern Atlantic, but the migration patterns are unknown. 

Norway: Arrives in early summer (April) and can be seen until fall (some even in winter), migration routes unknown.

Population size: North Atlantic stock (Northeast Atlantic, Central North Atlantic, West Greenland, and Canadian East Coast.) ca. 182.000, heavily exploited

Conservation Status: Least Concern ver 3.1, Pop. trend: stable

Threats: Vessel collisions, whaling (Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Japan), plastic pollution, man-made noise impacts (seismic surveys, military sonar), entanglement in fishing gear, over fishing

Vocalizations: http://cetus.ucsd.edu/voicesinthesea_org/species/baleenWhales/minke.html


With this video we demonstrate the waste of a highly intelligent and long-lived animal, which was shot for commercial reasons. We oppose whaling and sealing in the world!