Minke Whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, of the Western North Atlantic

Abstract

Minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata support a shore-based fishery in eastern Newfoundland. The appearance of minke whales here parallels the spawning concentration of capelin (Mallotus villosus) and lasts from late May to late July, the whales eating chiefly capelin with some cod and herring and other organisms. Summer distribution extends north to Ungava Bay. A return migration is not noted in Trinity Bay before catching ends in late October but reports from the Labrador coast indicate that many whales pass through just before freeze-up in November or December. The catch in Newfoundland consists mainly of large mature animals, and there is some evidence that many calves may remain in summer in more southerly waters. Body form, colouration and life cycle show no differences from minke whales of European seas. Ear plugs were rarely found to show readable growth layers in minke whales.