On Monday we couldn’t find any humpback whales but we did find an active Minke Whale something we don’t often see. The minke stayed close to the boat and put on a show for us, covering all sides of the boat making the job a little easier for our captain.
About Minke Whales, we don’t see them often the are elusive and fast swimmers, they can swim faster than our whale watching boats!
Common Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales, and the smallest baleen whale seen along the Jersey Shore. These whales prefer cooler temperate waters to tropical waters.
Size: Adults to 29 to 33 feet long and up to 10 tons; females slightly larger than males. At birth a minke whale is approximately 9 feet.
Body: the easiest way to identify a minke whale from other baleen whales is by their tradition to lift their pointed snout and head out of the water when they surface.
The body is small and seek, with a sharply pointed head and flat rostrum. Flippers are pointed. Flukes broad.
Color: Black or steel-gray. All of their baleen is white. White bands are found on both flippers.They are beautiful
Dorsal fin: Prominent and hooked or curved like a sickle. Located two-thirds back on the body.
Blow: Low, bushy and difficult to see. Will reach 4 to 8 feet.
Dive: It appears 2 to 4 minutes at the surface, 30 to 60 seconds apart. Then dives between 2 to 8 minutes
Behavior: Minke is a fast moving whale. It will often approach a boat. It can be found alone or in groups of 2 to 3. May enter bays and harbors. We have only had a handful of minke sightings this year.
Hard to keep all the reports on whale watching in New Jersey
