Fauna Flora Photography

Northern Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata

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.

Specs

Length6-8m
Weight2-4.5t

Common Names

GermanZwergwal
EnglishNorthern Minke Whale
FrenchPetit Rorqual
SpanishBallena de minke común

Taxonomy

OrderArtiodactyla
SuborderCetacea
FamilyBalaenopteridae
SpeciesBalaenoptera acutorostrata

How to Identify

Black or dark grey back, white, pink belly, and white stripe across the flippers are distinctive characteristics.

Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2021-08-23
Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2021-08-22
Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2018-05-23

Where and 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.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - x - -

Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.

Last updated on 2023-12-15. 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.