Whales — Minke
Minke
Minke whales are baleen whales who belong to the lesser rorqual species. Minke whales are the second smallest of the baleen whales, just larger than the Pygmy Right whale. Minke whales average about 23 feet long for females and 26 feet for males and have an average weight of 4-5 metric tons. There are two subspecies of Minke, the common (northern) and the Antarctic (southern). The Common Minke found in the North Pacific are further brown down into two stocks J (Sea of Japan - Yellow Sea - East China sea) and O (Okhotsk sea - west Pacific) with O stock being what I encounter.
Minke whales migrate to their respective poles during their spring months and tropics during their fall and winter. Due to the different timing of seasons in each hemisphere this is believed to possibly prevent the two species from mixing.
How To Identify Minke Whale
Minke can be identified by their small size or by their dorsal shape. Minke have a smooth black/grey back and a small curved pointed dorsal fin. Minke do not normally engage in surface activity but when they do a white band can be seen on each dorsal of Common Minke.
Identification of individual Minke whale is much more difficult as they do not engage in the surface activity similar to more popular whales such as Humpbacks they are not as well studied. Individuals are done primarily by dorsal shaping and body scars and markings.
I am not aware of any photo identification resources for Minke Whales. If you have one please reach out to me to share it.
