Minke whale

Often associated with the west coast of Scotland, this whale can also be seen along our coastline, especially in late summer, and it is the baleen whale you are most likely to see.

The minke is the smallest of the rorqual family, growing to about 8-10m in length (25-33ft). They are a dark slate grey colour, with a relatively small triangular head and paddle like fins, often marked with a white band. Their dorsal fin is small and situated about two-thirds of the way along the back.

Rorquals, including the blue whale and humpback whale, have great folds of skin under their chin which reach down past their flippers. These grooves allow greater expansion of the mouth cavity and are generally seen only when the animal is feeding.

They have a distinctive dive pattern, starting with the head breaking the surface at an angle, followed by the dorsal fin. The blow hole and dorsal fin can be seen at the same time. When they dive, they do not usually raise their tail above the surface of the water.

They are inquisitive animals and frequently approach boats. They can often be seen feeding underneath flocks of feeding birds. They are relatively fast swimmers and may breach or spy hop (poke their head above the water, possible to look around).

Aberdeenshire Dolphin Project Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
	Often associated with the west coast of Scotland, this whale can also be seen along our coastline, especially in late summer, and it is the baleen whale you are most likely to see. The minke is the smallest of the rorqual family, growing to about 8-10m in length (25-33ft). They are a dark slate grey colour, with a relatively small triangular head and paddle like fins, often marked with a white band. Their dorsal fin is small and situated about two-thirds of the way along the back. Rorquals, including the blue whale and humpback whale, have great folds of skin under their chin which reach down past their flippers. These grooves allow greater expansion of the mouth cavity and are generally seen only when the animal is feeding. They have a distinctive dive pattern, starting with the head breaking the surface at an angle, followed by the dorsal fin. The blow hole and dorsal fin can be seen at the same time. When they dive, they do not usually raise their tail above the surface of the water. They are inquisitive animals and frequently approach boats. They can often be seen feeding underneath flocks of feeding birds. They are relatively fast swimmers and may breach or spy hop (poke their head above the water, possible to look around). Back to the "What are Cetaceans?" page