Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata

The magnificent minke whale is the commonest of the baleen whales around Scotland, and the one you are most likely to see from headlands and ferries. The best chance of a close view is to take a whale watching trip from an accredited operator, when you might be rewarded with a life changing close encounter with a minke surfacing or spy-hopping near the boat.

Why are minke important?

Minke are charismatic, intelligent marine mammals, and greatly enrich the marine life of Scottish coasts. Surveys in 1994 and 1995 estimated numbers in the eastern Atlantic at 110,000, with 8,500 in the North Sea, but the International Whaling Commission   believes that minke populations have still not recovered from past whaling. Because of their relatively small size, minke whales were not hunted by Scottish whalers until stocks of all the larger species were depleted. They are still the subject of limited targeted whaling by Norway and Iceland, which may impact on populations around Scotland. Minkes sometimes get entangled in fishing gear, and may be injured by collisions with shipping. PCBs and other pollutants accumulate in their blubber and may impact on their health, and there is concern that they may suffer from noise made by ship traffic, seismic testing for oil and gas, and by the military. In recognition of the importance and vulnerability of the minke and its close relatives, there is a grouped species action plan for all baleen whales in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan  , now taken forward by the Scottish Government under the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy  .

How can you recognise them?

Although the smallest of the baleen whales, the minke is still an impressively big animal: females are up to 8.5m (28ft) long, and males only a little smaller. When a minke surfaces, most often all that is seen is a long, arched back, and a sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Closer to, paler grey markings on its side may show as light chevrons between the blowhole and the dorsal fin, and there is a pale band on each flipper. The blow from a minke's double blowhole is inconspicuous and rarely more than 2m (6ft) tall. Minke rarely breach clear of the water, but they may 'spy hop' - rising partly out of the water vertically to check their surroundings, and they regularly approach boats.

Where do they live?

Minke whales have a virtually worldwide distribution, and can be seen throughout Scottish waters. They feed mainly in shallower water over the continental shelf, rather than out in the open ocean. They regularly appear around sandbanks or where upwellings bring nutrients and fish near the surface, or in the strong currents around headlands and small islands. They will often come close to land, even entering estuaries, bays and inlets.

How do they live?

Minke whales feed on a wide range of mostly smaller fish: sandeels, herring, sprat, haddock, saithe, whiting and small cod, as well as krill and other animals of the plankton. They feed by engulfing prey in their huge open mouths. Longitudinal furrows on their throat allow it to expand enormously to accommodate huge volumes of seawater. When they close their mouths, the seawater is squeezed out through hanging curtains of baleen, the minke's own fishing net, while the fish are swallowed. Some minkes dive deep and chase fish towards the surface; this often attracts large flocks of seabirds which benefit from the feast, and are often a useful signpost that there are whales around. Minke are most often spotted around Scotland between July and September, but they can be seen at any time between May and October, and a few may stay here year-round.