Dear readers,

Whalecome at the introduction of the whales of Skjálfandi bay part 3. After the blue whale and the porpoise lets introduce the minke whale!

Latin name: acutorostrata Balaenoptera           
Common name: Minke whale  
Icelandic name: Hrefna              
Average life span: 50 years       
Diet: krill and small fish
Size: 6 – 10 meters        
Weight: 10 tons

Minke whales are one of the smallest of the baleen whales. There are two different species of minke whales, the common (northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (southern) minke whale. The northern minke whale can be found around Iceland.

Minke whales, like other baleen whales, use the filter feeding technique to feed. Minke whales mostly live individually. The max speed for minke is 40km/h, on average they swim between 5-25 km/h. Minke whales have one predator, groups of orca's (killer whales). The chases of Orca´s and minke whales can last up to 1 hour. Minkes are known by some people as stinky minke, due to their bad breath, when you are close to a minke and it breathes out you can smell the breath. The dive times of minke whales are up to 20 minutes, on average 3-5 minutes. Minke whales do not show their tail (fluke) when they go for a dive.

Minke whales become sexually mature at the age of 6, like most baleen whale minkes migrate at the end of summer to warmer waters in the south (near the equator). Here they mate and give birth, the gestation period of minke whales is 10 months. When the calf is born its 2,5 meters long and weighs 450 kg. In 6 months they have doubled in size.

Unfortunately minke whales are one of the whale species that is still being hunted by Japan. The Japanese government has allowed for 52 minke whales to be hunted in 2019. The Antarctic minke whale has the status of near threatened according to the IUCN red list.

Minke whales in Skjálfandi bay can be seen throughout the year in Skjálfandi, however the chance are getting smaller. This is because the warming of the sea waters causes the prey of the minkes to move further north, which means that the minkes follow their prey.

Then it's time for discussion no. 3 about the most common species of whales in Skjálfandaflói. This time we introduce Hrefna to the game.

Latin name: acutorostrata Balaenoptera       
English name: Minke whale           
Icelandic name: Hrefna   
Average lifespan: 50 year        
Food choices: Light eaters and small fish              
Size: 6 – 10 meters     
Weight: 10 tons

Killer whales are among the smallest minke whales in existence. There are two types of killer whales, northern killer whales and southern killer whales. The former can be found in many places around Iceland.  

Humpback whales, like other right whales, use a "filtering method" for food intake. They mostly live singly rather than in groups. The maximum swimming speed is about 40 km/h and they usually swim a distance of 5-25 km every hour. Hrefn are attacked by killer whales, but these chases can last up to an hour. Minks are also known for their foul-smelling breath, which has resulted in the undesirable nickname "stinky minke". Stingrays usually dive for 20 minutes, although the average dive time is only 3-5 minutes. They usually do not show their spurs when they dive.

Minke become sexually mature when they reach 6 years of age. Like most species of ski whales, they migrate at the end of summer to warmer areas in the southern oceans. They use the warm sea to reproduce and have offspring, but the gestation period of Hrefna is 10 months. The pregnant females therefore leave earlier for wintering in the southern seas than the other whales. The offspring are born about 2,5 meters long and weigh 450 kg. During the first 6 months of life, they double in size.  

Killer whales are one of the whale species that are still allowed to be hunted, for example in Japan where the authorities have allowed the hunting of 52 whales in 2019. The southern killer whale is listed as endangered according to the Red List of the International Organization for Conservation of Nature.

Manatees in Skjálfandaflói can be seen all year round, but their number and the probability of seeing them is nevertheless decreasing. Is the warming of the sea to blame, which causes the prey to look for colder seas north of Iceland. Hrefnan has therefore been moving north in line with this in recent years.