southwest of Iceland. Minke whales also occur in deep
pelagic waters.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded minke whales can be most readily identified by: 1) their small
size (to just over 30 feet [9.1 m]); 2) the transverse white bands on
the flippers; 3) the yellowish-white baleen plates (up to half the
posteriormost plates may be brown or black), 300-325 per side in number
and having fine white bristles (the plates are up to 4.75 inches [12 cm]
wide at the base and up to 8 inches [20.3 cm] long); and 4) by the 50-70
thin ventral grooves, ending well before the navel, often just even with
the flippers.

[Illustration: Figure 62.--The minke whale, at a maximum length of just
over 30 feet (9.1 m), the smallest baleen whale species of the western
North Atlantic, is distributed in polar, temperate, and tropical waters.
These animals usually have a low, inconspicuous blow and are sometimes
curious enough about boats that they will alter their course to
investigate them. Note the two areas of light gray on the sides of the
body, characteristic of at least Pacific minke whales. (_Photo from off
British Columbia, courtesy of_ Nanaimo Free Press.)]

[Illustration: Figure 63.--Three views of minke whales at sea. In all
note the transverse band of white on the flippers and the sharply
pointed head. Note the gray chevron visible on the back (top), the
absence of a conspicuous blow and the appearance of the prominent dorsal
fin on the surface while the blowholes are still exposed (middle), and
the distinctive regions of light gray on the sides (bottom). (_Photos
from off San Diego, Calif. by G. E. Lingle (top); from the northern West
Indies by H. E. Winn (middle); and from the western Pacific by Japanese
Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 64.--Minke whales are also known as sharp-headed
finners. On this animal from the North Pacific, note the sharply pointed
head and the single central head ridge. (_Photo by Japanese Whales
Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 65.--A minke whale stranded at Santa Barbara,
Calif. Note the dark back, the white-banded flipper, and the 60-70 fine
ventral grooves extending to just behind the flippers. The short, white
baleen plates are visible in the open mouth. (_Photo by S. Anderson._)]

[Illustration: Figure 66.--Minke whales have from 300 to 325 short,
yellowish-white baleen plates (up to half the anteriormost plates