Minke whale

The Dwarf Minke Whale which is seen in June / July along the coast of north west Australia is most closely related to the northern hemisphere minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). At this moment a lot of research is done on this animal, this minke whale is suspected to be a not yet identified subspecies of the northern hemisphere minke whale.

The Dwarf Minke Whale is the second smallest baleen whale, after the pygmy right whale. The Dwarf Minke Whale has the most complex color pattern of any baleen whale. Researchers use this patterns to identify individual animals. They have a dark color band on the neck till the throat, which is different for each individual animal. Above the white shoulder patch each individual has a light grey thorax patch. The Antarctic minke whale, which is spotted in the same region, does not have the dark throat patch.

When meeting snorkelers the dwarf minke whale always needs some time to get used to their presence. But when they see that the snorkelers are no threat to them they will come closer bit by bit. Besides the different color patterns from each animal, scientists also use behavior and sound for identification of the animals.