#acutorostrata

[namu-the-orca]

Is it still murder if no one cares

Is it?

[namu-the-orca]

“The Council of Minkes”

“And under the cover of darkness, in the pale light of a full moon that seemed to set light to the ocean, the minkes gathered. Most had never spent much time with others of their kind, and no one seemed to really know how to behave. They swam loosely alongside one another, some casually joining others as if purely by accident, others awkwardly trying to find physical contact with their conspecifics, yet all travelling together as one. It would be quite some time before they might meet someone like themselves again.”

This painting was done as part of art exchange with @cioranius (she made the most gobsmacking piece of art for her half ;A; ). She requested a meeting of Dwarf minke whales – a fascinating prompt to me, because I had no idea they ever really came together. But apparently minkes do meet on some rare occasions, even if they usually go alone. I have only seen photos of a pair at most, but perhaps they also meet in larger groups, far away from the eye of man. So this rather dreamy mystical scene was born, of a few minkes meeting under the stars.

[namu-the-orca]

It seemed preference went to uploading the baleen whales one by one, so here we go - and let’s start with the little ones to shake things up!

Northern minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

So, the minke whale. It's a well known and well loved little commoner. They are amongst the smallest of the baleen whales, only reaching a maximum length of 10 metres. This relatively small size allows them to be active and acrobatic whales, and they frequently leap clear of the water (much to the delight of whale watchers and photographers!). Just like many baleen whales, these guys have beautiful colouration. The white flipper band is perhaps most prominent, and together with the light chevrons on the sides they create an unmistakable pattern. These whales also have a variable flipper shadow (dark stripes posterior of the pectoral fin) like many of the greater whales. However, even having illustrated several Minkes in the past, I learned something new this time: a very thin, light line often runs from the ear to the flipper. It can for example be seen on this photo. Fascinating stuff!

This illustration is part of a commission from SEAMMO (SEA Mammal Monitoring Organisation) to illustrate all 15 baleen whale (Mysticete) species.

[namu-the-orca]

Dwarf minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata ssp.)

The third of the little great whales, and with that the minke whales are complete! With the superficially similar Antarctic minke whale having been taxonomically separated from the Common minke whale for a good couple of years already, it's a bit of a mystery as to why these little guys have not been recognised as a separate species or even subspecies yet. It's certainly not for their looks: they might be one of the most complicatedly marked cetaceans! Just looking through photos it's astounding to see all the fantastic markings you come across. I've combined two of my favourites in the illustration here: the stripes on the side and the black 'twirl' coming down onto the belly. Not all dwarf minkes have this second dark intrusion; some animals' sides are a more continuous grey. Their markings are asymmetrical and so unique researchers use them to identify individuals.

Even smaller than the other two species of minke whale, swimming with these diminutive baleen whales has become very popular around the Great Barrier Reef. There, snorkelers float around a rope strung from a boat, allowing the whales to make close passes at their own leisure and initiative. However, even though the whales are best known from their sightings in eastern Australia, they in fact occur throughout much of the Southern Hemisphere. Their specific distribution and migration patterns are still poorly understood, but they are also encountered off western Australia, southern Africa, Argentina and Brazil, and in the open sub-antarctic ocean.

Besides their pretty looks, all minkes apparently also have a knack for making strange noises. With the Antarctic making the 'bio-duck' sound I wrote about previously and the Common minke whale producing a weird screechy 'boing', the Dwarf minke whales have a 'star-wars' vocalisation. Have a listen for yourself. Awesome whales!

This illustration is part of a commission from SEAMMO (SEA Mammal Monitoring Organisation) to illustrate all 15 baleen whale (Mysticete) species.