The most abundant baleen whale on the planet, with a population counted in the hundreds of thousands despite having been, for decades, the species most hunted by scientific and commercial whaling programmes in the Southern Ocean. It lives almost entirely in the southern hemisphere, following the edge of the Antarctic ice in summer and migrating to warmer waters in winter to breed. It was recognised as a species distinct from the Common Minke Whale only in the 1990s.
Small, slender whale for a rorqual, with a dark grey back and pale belly, lacking the white patch on the pectoral fins characteristic of the Common Minke Whale. Narrow, pointed snout; falcate dorsal fin set about two-thirds of the way along the body. It differs from the Common Minke Whale in lacking that white pectoral band and in its distribution centred almost entirely on the southern hemisphere.
Leaves no land tracks, being a cetacean, but is identified at sea by a low, barely visible blow, by surfacing with the snout first and then the dorsal fin in one fluid movement, and by baleen remains washed up on beaches, black on the left side and white over much of the right.
Oceanic waters of the southern hemisphere, with summer concentrations at the edge of the Antarctic ice and winter migrations to subtropical and tropical waters for breeding.
Feeds by filtering small crustaceans, especially Antarctic krill, taking large mouthfuls that it expels through the baleen.
Usually travels alone or in small groups, although it can form larger concentrations in krill-rich feeding areas. Makes long seasonal migrations between the Antarctic feeding waters and warmer breeding waters.
It remains the most numerous baleen whale in the world, with several hundred thousand individuals, although it continues to be hunted under scientific and commercial permits in some nations. Doubts remain about the long-term effect of that take and of change in its Antarctic ice habitat.
Continued whaling under scientific and commercial permits, and possible future degradation of its feeding habitat through the retreat of Antarctic ice linked to climate change.
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