Minke whale
(Norsk: Vågehval)
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Population (North Atlantic) : 156,000 – 200,000
Conservation Status : Least Concern
Commercial whaling in Norway had a quota of 1406 whales that could be killed in 2025. Minke whales arrive in early summer in April and can be seen until fall or in some cases even in winter. Their migration routes are unknown and are generally shy due to the active whaling in Norway.
Identification: Small & sleek; black/dark gray body, white underneath; sharply pointed snout; 50-70 ventral pleats; white band on flippers; no fluke raise when diving; blow usually not visible; falcate small dorsal fin appearing simultaneously with blowhole when surfacing
Group formation: Solitary; individual or groups of 2-3
Size: males 7.5-8.5 meters, females 8.5-9.8 meters, calf 2.2-2.8 meters
Weight: 6-8 tonnes, calf 350-450 kilograms
Spout: 3 meters, more bushy, often invisible
Age: 50-60 years
Sexual maturity: females 6-8 years, males 5-8 years
Gestation: 10-11 months, every year or every other year
Weaning: 4-6 months
Diet: Krill, small schooling fish like herring, capelin, cod, mackerel, pollack, & sand lace.
Distribution: Cosmopolitan species, common minke whales are commonly seen during summer months in the northern Atlantic, but the migration patterns are unknown. It is believed calving grounds may be in tropical waters, including the Caribbean and off Brazil.
Population size: North Atlantic stock (Northeast Atlantic, Central North Atlantic, West Greenland, and Canadian East Coast.) ca. 156.000 – 200.000, heavily exploited.
Conservation Status: Least Concern (2018) Pop. trend: unknown
Vessel collisions, whaling (Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Japan), plastic pollution, man-made noise impacts (seismic surveys, military sonar, vessel traffic), entanglement in fishing gear, overfishing, habitat disturbance.
Unfortunately we don’t have any sound recordings of Minke whales.
With this video we demonstrate the waste of a highly intelligent and long-lived animal, which was shot for commercial reasons. We oppose whaling and sealing in the world!
Content warning: This video contains material that some viewers may find disturbing.
