Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Group formation: Solitary
Size: males 6-8 m, females 7-9 m, calf 2.5 m
Weight: males 4 t, females 5 (10) t, calf 400 kg
Spout: 2 m, hard to see
Age: 50-60 yrs
Sexual maturity: 6-8 yrs
Physical maturity: 18-20 yrs
Gestation: 10 mths, every 2 years
Weaning: 5-10 months
Diet: Krill in the northern areas, but also herring or capelin
Distribution: Cosmopolitan species, common minke whales are commonly seen during summer months in the northern Atlantic, but the migration patterns are unknown.
Norway: Arrives in early summer (April) and can be seen until fall (some even in winter), migration routes unknown.
Population size: North Atlantic stock (Northeast Atlantic, Central North Atlantic, West Greenland, and Canadian East Coast.) ca. 182.000, heavily exploited
Conservation Status: Least Concern ver 3.1, Pop. trend: stable
Threats: Vessel collisions, whaling (Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Japan), plastic pollution, man-made noise impacts (seismic surveys, military sonar), entanglement in fishing gear, over fishing
Vocalizations: http://cetus.ucsd.edu/voicesinthesea_org/species/baleenWhales/minke.html
With this video we demonstrate the waste of a highly intelligent and long-lived animal, which was shot for commercial reasons. We oppose whaling and sealing in the world!