Appearance
The minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale; only the pygmy right whale is smaller. Upon reaching sexual maturity , males measure an average of 6.9 m and females 7.4 m in length, respectively. Reported maximum lengths vary from 9.1 to 10.7 m for females and 8.8 to 9.8 m for males. Both sexes typically weigh 4–5 t at sexual maturity, and the maximum weight may be as much as 10 t .The minke whale is a black/gray/purple color. Common minke whales are distinguished from other whales by a white band on each flipper. The body is usually black or dark-gray above and white underneath. Minke whales have between 240 and 360 baleen plates on each side of their mouths. Most of the length of the back, including dorsal fin and blowholes, appears at once when the whale surfaces to breathe.
Minke whales typically live for 30–50 years; in some cases they may live for up to 60 years.
The brains of minke whales have around 12.8 billion neocortical neurons and 98.2 billion neocortical glia.
Distribution
The IUCN Red List labels the common minke whale as Least Concern. The Antarctic minke whale is listed as Data Deficient.COSEWIC puts both species in the Not At Risk category . NatureServe lists them as G5 which means the species is secure on global range .
In 2012, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission agreed upon a population estimate of 515,000 for the Antarctic minke stock. The Scientific Committee acknowledged that this estimate is subject to a negative bias because some minke whales would have been outside the surveyable ice edge boundaries.
Status
The IUCN Red List labels the common minke whale as Least Concern. The Antarctic minke whale is listed as Data Deficient.COSEWIC puts both species in the Not At Risk category . NatureServe lists them as G5 which means the species is secure on global range .
In 2012, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission agreed upon a population estimate of 515,000 for the Antarctic minke stock. The Scientific Committee acknowledged that this estimate is subject to a negative bias because some minke whales would have been outside the surveyable ice edge boundaries.
Behavior
The whale breathes three to five times at short intervals before 'deep-diving' for two to 20 minutes. Deep dives are preceded by a pronounced arching of the back. The maximum swimming speed of minkes has been estimated at 38 km/h .Reproduction
The gestation period for minke whales is 10 months, and calves measure 2.4 to 2.8 m at birth. The newborns nurse for five to possible 10 months. Breeding peaks during the summer months. Calving is thought to occur every two years.References:
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