Family-- Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)

IDENTIFICATION
Minke Whales (also known as Little Piked Whales or Sharp-headed Finners) are the smallest of the baleen whales in the northern hemisphere, at about 10.5 metres long. They are greyish black on the back, and white on the belly and the underside of the flukes and flippers. Both flippers have a distinct horizontal band of white on the upper side.

MEALS, MANNERS AND MIGRATION
Minke Whales have been reported in groups of one to three, and are quite likely to engage in aerial acrobatics. This species is one of the most widely distributed of the whales of the eastern Pacific. During the summer, they range from the coldest parts of the Bering and Chukchi seas to the warm, tropical waters off central Mexico, and everywhere in between; they are common off central California and in Puget Sound, but they are far more abundant in Alaskan waters. In winter, Minkes are most abundant near the California Channel Islands. They feed predominantly on fish, but also on euphausiids and other invertebrates.

STATUS
Minke Whales have never been abundant in British Columbia waters, even though they are the most commonly seen baleen whales in some regions along the coast. We have no population estimates for this species, and there is no evidence that it was commercially hunted here.

DISTRIBUTION
Minkes are found in all the world oceans to the edge of the polar ice. In the northeast Pacific, they range from Alaska, south to Baja California, and Mexico. They often approach coastal areas and frequently enter bays, inlets and estuaries where they prey on small fish.