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
Length | 6-8m |
Weight | 2-4.5t |
Common Names
German | Zwergwal |
English | Northern Minke Whale |
French | Petit Rorqual |
Spanish | Ballena de minke común |
Taxonomy
Order | Artiodactyla |
Suborder | Cetacea |
Family | Balaenopteridae |
Species | Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
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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](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20210823-1613-0000102327.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.33)
![Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2021-08-22](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20210822-1450-0000101475.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.54)
![Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2018-05-23](https://simaecnet.imgix.net/photos/khm-20180523-1817-1527085036.jpg?w=235&h=235&fit=crop&auto=format,compress&crop=entropy)
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.
Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park | - | x | - | - |
Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.