Minke Whale

About the Minke Whale

The smallest of the baleen whales. They are also the most abundant, with over 800,000 worldwide. They are the only whale species still commercially hunted by Japan, who kills 300+ annually under the guise of scientific research. They can swim at 38 km/h. They are curious and sometimes approach boats. Their blow is small and rarely visible. They can dive for 20 minutes. They are named after a Norwegian whaler named Meincke who mistakenly identified one. They are solitary or found in small groups. They breed annually. Their calls can reach 150 decibels.