MINKE WHALE

Hrefna

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

The Minke whale is the most common whale around Iceland, it’s our favorite and the one we see most often on our whale watching tours. Though smaller than other great whales it is still amazingly big at 7 – 9 meters. Because of its smaller size it prefers shallow water and thus lives close to shore, such as here in our Faxafloi bay. Faxafloi bay is a main feeding ground for the Minke whale. Therefore the chances to spot whales here are very high and that makes our whale watching tours especially successful.

Minke whales, particularly the young ones and the ones which live around Iceland, can be very curious, more curious than other great whales usually are. They tend to come very close and they like to spy hop, thats when they bring their head entirely out of the water to watch the boat. Most often we find them while they are feeding. Then we usually see their dark grey back and the dorsal fin breaking the surface. When there is a lot to feed on, the minke whale basks on the water surface, showing its belly and opening its mouth wide so you can see its baleen plates.

Length: 7-11 metres
Weight: 8-10 tons
Life expectancy: 50 years
Status: uncertain world wide, currently being hunted.

One of the smallest and the most abundant of baleen whales
The Icelandic Minke whale stock is estimated to be between 40 000-50 000 whales. Some of them are believed to be residents around Iceland
The most common whale on our whale watching tours
Fast swimmer
Dive sequence of several short dives with a 20 second interval followed by a deep dive of around 4 minutes
Usually seen alone but may temporarily associate with others for corralling fish
Distinguishing white ‘armbands’ on pectoral fins (flippers)
Can breach, but does so mostly in rough seas
Sometimes approaches boats, as it is quite inquisitive
Energetic feeders, sometimes semi-breaching as they lunge upwards to gulp their prey such as plankton, sandeel and herring.