Minke whale baleen whale; only the pygmy right whale is smaller. Upon reaching sexual maturity (6–8 years of age), males measure an average of and females in length, respectively. Reported maximum lengths vary from for females and for males. Both sexes typically weigh at sexual maturity, and the maximum weight may be as much as . The minke whale is a black/gray/purple color. Common minke whales (Northern Hemisphere variety) are distinguished from other whales by a white band on each flipper. The body is usually black or dark-gray above and white underneath. Minke whales have between 240 and 360 baleen plates on
Minke Smeets ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing her boyfriend, Dutch' baseball teams catcher, Tjerk Smeets proposed, and Minke accepted. Her older sister Hanneke was also a Dutch international. Minke Smeets Minke Smeets ("née" Smabers; born March 22, 1979 in The Hague, South Holland) is a field hockey midfielder from the Netherlands. Her current team is Laren. She was part of the team that won the 2007 Champions Trophy. During the Champions Trophy she became the all-time record holder in caps for the national team, wearing the orange jersey for the 235th time in her career in the final, breaking Mijntje