Minke Whales
Although not nearly as large as its close relatives, the Fin and Blue Whale, the Minke Whale is a species of much interest to anyone concerned with the conservation of whales and their habitats. Minke Whales hold the unfortunate distinction of being the only baleen whale species that is still commercially hunted on a large scale. In the Northwest Pacific as well as the Southern Oceans, huge Japanese "factory whaling" ships still take an annual quota of four-hundred and forty Minke Whales each year. Recently (Spring 2005) Japan also announced plans to increase its annual catch of Minke Whales to eight-hundred and eighty whales, plus they proposed taking fifty Humpbacks and fifty Fin Whales from these same oceanic regions. While the Minke Whale (including the Antarctic Minke which was recently designated as a distinct species) is not thought to be an endangered species, we still know very little about their actual abundance, distribution, migration, breeding cycles, population trends, reproductive rates, food requirements, or many of the other essential bits of information that wildlife biologists need in order to determine how many animals could be safely taken from the population without endangering the long-term survival of that species (or a given population of that species). Therefore most conservative environmentalists (is that a contradiction in terms?) are uncomfortable with the taking of ANY Minke Whales until more is known about their biology and natural history. As far as the fifty Humpbacks and fifty Fins that Japan has proposed taking, those species are very much still endangered, and the particular populations that the fifty whales would be taken from are amongst the most endangered populations on the planet. Removing just fifty Humpback or Fin whales per year from these populations could seriously affect the whale's ability to recover from past hunting. (Above is a photograph of a Minke Whale. Note the white "Minke Mittens" on the pectoral fins)
Breaching Minke Whale (Stellwagen Bank)
In our study area, however, Minke Whales are fully protected. In fact, Minke Whales may well be the most abundant whale species on Stellwagen Bank and Jeffrey's Ledge. Despite their ubiquitous presence Minke Whales are not as often observed as their larger cousins such as Finback Whales and Humpback Whales. Minke Whales are small by whale standards; averaging "only" 15-22 feet. Because of their smaller size (and therefore reduced lung capacity) they do not produce the highly visible spout that Humpbacks, Fins, and other "great" whales do. This fact, combined with their fast speed and shy nature, makes them difficult to observe in the open ocean. When you do happen upon a Minke at close range, however, one field mark that you will no doubt notice is the two white bands across their pectoral fins. These are called "Minke mittens" and may be used much like the white lower-jaw of the Fin Whale... to concentrate prey while feeding. Minke are occasionally active the surface, though much less often than Humpbacks and usually only on the roughest weather days we go out in.
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