MINKE WHALE

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Length: 7–10 meters
Weight: 8–10 tons.
Worldwide population: Possibly 1,000,000
Life expectancy: Um 50 ár.

The minke whale is the smallest of the baleen whales, reaching 8 - 10 meters in length, weighing up to 10 tons. The males, smaller than females, are about 7 - 8 meters in length. The North Atlantic minke whales have white diagonal stripes across their flippers, unlike their relatives in the South, which have plain black flippers.

Minke whales spout 3 - 4 consecutive times before deep diving. They can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes, though the usual time is around 3 - 5 minutes. They don't fluke, but often bend their backs before vanishing. Sometimes, they leap out of the water.

Their diet consists of plankton, krill and small surface fish, but it is believed that around 1 - 6% of their diet is based on various stockfish, such as cod.

The Icelandic minke whale population is estimated to be 50,000 - 60,000 individuals. With an estimated population size of 1,000,000 animals worldwide, they are thought to be the most abundant whale species.

The big guys are very often seen on our tours