Marine mammal

Common minke whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Coastal bays and offshore ocean waters, particularly in temperate and cooler seas

Photo: (c) Marilyne Busque-Dubois, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat: Coastal bays and offshore ocean waters, particularly in temperate and cooler seas
Viewing zone: Observe at the surface from shore or a boat
Viewing activities: Offshore

Life and behavior

Seasonal movements may connect high-latitude feeding areas with warmer waters.

Wider distribution

Occupies coastal and oceanic waters, including temperate, boreal, and some tropical areas.

When to look

The available records do not establish a reliable local viewing season. Use the map’s month filter to inspect dated observations; it does not predict an encounter.

RECORDED PRESENCE

Where has Common minke whale been recorded?

These destination links use the same area and date cutoff as the map: 40 km circles, except for the four named regional rectangles. Checked 2026-09-19. Counts describe source records, not individual animals or sighting odds.

AzoresPortugal40 km radius · 25 source records since 2016About this destination →Channel IslandsCalifornia, United States40 km radius · 37 source records since 2016About this destination →Chesapeake BayVirginia & Maryland, United StatesRegional rectangle · 7 source records since 2016About this destination →HawaiʻiHawaiʻi, United StatesRegional rectangle · 26931 source records since 2016About this destination →La JollaCalifornia, United States40 km radius · 28 source records since 2016About this destination →Monterey BayCalifornia, United StatesRegional rectangle · 24 source records since 2016About this destination →

Sources, search boundaries and limitations