MINKE WHALE

The Minke Whale is a relatively small baleen whale related to the Blue Whale and the Sei Whale. It grows to about 35 feet in length. It's unique name is thought to come from a whaler named "Meinke" who mistakenly identified these whales as blue whales. Scientific Name: Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Common Minke Whale), B. bonaerensis (Antarctic Minke Whale) Characteristics: The Minke Whale has a highly variable coloration, with a dark gray or black coloration above, white on the underside, and large areas of white and gray on its sides. The Common Minke typically has a white stripe on each of its small black pectoral fins. One subspecies, the Dwarf Minke, has a larger area of white on its fins, while the Antarctic species may be lacking any white on its fins. This detailed and accurate figure represents a Common Minke. Size: This whale figure measures just over 7 inches in length, around the size of a pair of scissors.