Minke whale

It is the smallest member of the Balaenopteridae in the Mediterranean. It has a slender, streamlined body and a dorsal fin that is taller, relative to its size, than that of the fin whale. The back is dark grey and the underside white; behind the head there is a characteristic pale V-shaped pattern that extends down to the flanks. The colouring of the pectoral fins is distinctive: they bear a transverse white band that differs from one animal to another. The maximum length recorded for these animals is 10 m, with a weight of 10 tonnes.  It is a cosmopolitan species, found in tropical as well as temperate and polar waters of both hemispheres; in the Mediterranean it occurs only accidentally, and only in the central-western basin, and it is rare in Italian waters.  Dives last from 3 to 20 minutes. Before a deep dive it exhales 5 to 8 times and then submerges. Its diet is more varied than that of the fin whale, although it is still limited to small prey. It tends to swim alone or in small groups of 2-3 individuals. It is generally rather shy and rarely lets boats approach.