Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
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- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCetacea
- FamilyBalaenopteridae (Rorquals)
- GenusBalaenoptera
- SpeciesBalaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke Whale)
About the Minke Whale
The common minke whale or northern minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales. It is the smallest species of the rorquals and the second smallest species of baleen whale. Although first ignored by whalers due to its small size and low oil yield, it began to be exploited by various countries beginning in the early 20th century. As other species declined, larger numbers of common minke whales were caught, largely for their meat. It is now one of the primary targets of the whaling industry. There is a dwarf form in the Southern Hemisphere.
This species is known in the fossil record from the Pliocene epoch to the Quaternary period (age range: 4.7 million years ago to present day). The origins of the species' common name are obscure. One of the first references to the name came in Henrik Johan Bull's account of his 1893–95 voyage to the Antarctic, when he mentioned catching a small whale "called in the Arctic language a Mencke whale, after a German who accompanied Mr. Foyn on some of his voyages." According to the British writer John Guille Millais (The mammals of Great Britain and Ireland, 1906, vol. 3... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Minke Whale in Gros Morne National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Gros Morne National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 9 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 10 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Minke Whale in Gros Morne National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Minke Whale sighting in Gros Morne National Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Minke Whale in Gros Morne National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Minke Whale in Gros Morne National Park in our monthly data.