Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
OrderCetacea
FamilyBalaenopteridae (Rorquals)
GenusBalaenoptera
SpeciesBalaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke Whale)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Olympic National Park

2 Verified records at Olympic National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The common minke whale or northern minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales. It is the smallest species of the rorquals and the second smallest species of baleen whale. Although first ignored by whalers due to its small size and low oil yield, it began to be exploited by various countries beginning in the early 20th century. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park

Megaptera novaeangliae

20–30% · Possible

Orcinus orca

10–20% · With luck

Eschrichtius robustus

5–10% · With luck

Phocoena phocoena

5–10% · With luck

Phocoenoides dalli

<5% · Rare

Lissodelphis borealis

Insufficient data

Ziphius cavirostris

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Minke Whale at Olympic National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	10–20%
2	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	10–20%
3	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
4	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
5	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
6	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
7	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
8	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
9	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
10	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
11	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Insufficient data
12	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
13	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data

← Back to Olympic National Park

Minke Whale

Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park

Humpback Whale

Killer Whale

Gray Whale

Common Porpoise

Dall's Porpoise

Northern Right Whale Dolphin

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found