5 Fun Facts About Minke Whales

1. Minke whales have two V-shaped blow-holes on their heads. They can hold their breath up to 15 minutes.
2. Minke whales are very shy and typically swim alone. But they are also curious and can be spotted swimming up to ships and looking up at people.
3. The killer whale is the minke whale’s natural enemy.
4. Minke whale pregnancies last 11 months long and calves spend up to 5 years with their mothers.
5. Minke whales live up to 50 years of age.

 

Bonus:

Minke whales are the second smallest whales on the planet, measuring only 24 feet in length and weighing just under 4.3 metric tonnes. This is just a fraction of the world’s largest whale, the blue whale, which swims at 98 feet in length and weighs 180 metric tonnes.

Size of a Minke whale compared to other whales

 

A killer whale attacking a Minke whale

A pod of Minke whales

 

-NISHA PRAKASH