Northern hemisphere minke whale  (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Range

Occurs in all oceans of the northern hemisphere from polar waters to tropical regions. The northern hemisphere minke whale is the whale most likely to be seen from the coasts of the UK and Ireland, particularly from Scotland, western Ireland and the Northern Isles (7). In the English Channel and southern parts of the Northern Sea it is rare (7).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Habitat

Inhabits inshore to offshore waters and is usually more concentrated in higher latitudes during the summer and lower latitudes during the winter, but migrations vary from year to year. This whale often enters estuaries, bays and inlets, and during summer may feed around headlands and small islands (2) (8)

left