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.
How to Identify
Black back, white, pink belly, and white stripe across the flippers are distinctive characteristics.
Where and When to Spot
I saw them only once in Tadoussac in late May, probably during their migration from South to Arctic.
Common Names
Northern Minke Whale
Zwergwal (de)
Ballena de minke común (es)
Petit Rorqual (fr)
Taxonomy
Artiodactyla
Cetacea
Balaenopteridae
Balaenoptera acutorostrata