Minke whale
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What to look for:
This is the smallest of the baleen family of whales to be found in Scottish waters, being between 8.5 and 9 metres long. This whale weighs about 10 tonnes and is usually seen singly or as a cow with her calf. When the cow gives birth to a single calf, which is about 2.5 metres long.
Like all whales and dolphins, a minke whale has a blowhole on the top of its head and therefore needs to surface on a regular basis to breathe. Unlike some of the larger whales, minke whales rarely breech and their blow is relatively small and indistinctive.
This predominantly blue/black bodied whale has white on the top sides of its flippers and a white underside. They feed on fish, squid and krill by filtering water through their baleen combs that hang in their mouth.
When to see it:Minke whales spend the winter out at sea and come closer to the shore in summer to feed.
Where to see it:Minke whales are increasingly seen around the coast of Scotland, however the main hot spot for sightings is around the Small Isles (Rum, Eigg and Muck) between the islands of Skye and Mull. Minke whales, particularly juveniles can be very inquisitive and may approach boats.
Things to think about:In the most recent round of meetings of the International Whaling Commission, Japan once again secured an increased quota for the hunting of whales for scientific research. The 2007/8 kill will rise to 1035 whales (an increase of 20%). This provides a legitimate source of whale meat for the Japanese market. At present Norway, which also hunts whales for research, is banned under the CITES convention from exporting minke whale meat to Japan.
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