Common minke whale this mistake during Foyn's whaling operations in the Varanger Fjord between 1868 and 1885." It has formerly been known as the little piked whale, the lesser or least rorqual, and the sharp-headed finner. American whalemen in the 19th century simply thought of them as "young finbacks" or a "Finback's calf", apparently under the impression that they were juveniles of their larger relative, the fin whale. They were also called zwergwal (German: "dwarf whale") or vågehval (Norwegian: "bay whale"). In Japan they are called koiwashi-kujira ("little sardine whale") or minku-kujira ("minke whale"). In Greenland they are known by the Danish name
Giant beaked whale Giant beaked whale Giant beaked whales are species of beaked whales in the genus Berardius: Arnoux's beaked whale ("Berardius arnuxii") in cold Southern Hemisphere waters, and Baird's beaked whale ("Berardius bairdii") in the cold temperate waters of the North Pacific. A possible unnamed third species was described in 2016. They are the largest whales belonging to the family Ziphiidae. Lifespan estimates, based on earwax plug samples, indicate these whales can live up to 85 years. They are sometimes referred to as "four-toothed whales" or "giant beaked whales", but are most commonly known by their genus name, "Berardius". Arnoux's and Baird's