Northern Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Mammalia > Artiodactyla > Cetacea > Balaenopteridae
Names in different Languages
| German | Zwergwal |
| English | Northern Minke Whale |
| French | Petit Rorqual, Baleine de Minke |
| Spanish | Ballena de minke común, Ballena enana |
Description
A mid-sized whale, black on the back and pink, white belly, with curved dorsal fin. Migratory whale spending summer in the arctic and winter in the tropics.
How to Identify
Black or dark grey back, white, pink belly, and white stripe across the flippers are distinctive characteristics.
Where When to Spot
My first Minke Whale observation happened in Tadoussac in late May. Minke whales stay in St. Lawrence Winter all summer. During a two week stay in Portneuf-sur-Mer in the second half of August, I had many observations.
Photos
Observations
| 2021-08-23 | Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park |
| 2021-08-22 | Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park |
| 2021-08-18 | Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park |
| 2018-05-23 | Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park |
Last updated on 2023-05-09. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.