A whale with a pointed head and a curved dorsal fin set well back on its body.
Northern Hemisphere common minke whales have a white band across the middle of each pectoral fin.
Common minke whales in the North Pacific produce boing calls. Hydrophone arrays can localize calls and follow the movements of vocalizing whales.
A 2023 study examined 2012–2017 records off Kauai during periods without sonar. Rapid callers and whales near other callers were more likely to swim faster and more directionally.
Baseline variation helps contextualize responses to human sound. Acoustic and visual work inform concerns about entanglement, vessel strikes and noise.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Whaling, entanglement, vessel strikes, noise and environmental change are concerns. Work includes stock assessment, sound-response research, reducing disturbance and stranding response.