Not as much is known about the migratory patterns of the Antarctic Minke whales as the Northern Hemisphere Minkes. Although, the Antarctic Minke have been reported to travel as far as 78 degrees South in the Antarctic Ross Sea during the summer.
Minke whales are normally sighted individually or in small groups of 2-4 whales. However, there have been groups of up to 400 found in some feeding areas close to the poles. They communicate with the whales around them by using vocal sounds such as clicks, grunts, pulse trains, ratchets and thumps. These noises vary depending on the exact Minke species, and the geographic area they are in.
Minke whales migrate in order to be in the best temperatures for feeding and mating. They swim very fast and can cover large distances in order to find the best location for survival. These whales migrate far distances seasonally, feeding in and around the ice edge during the summer and moving to mating and calving grounds during the winter.
Minke whales don’t just eat one type of food. They are able to eat crustaceans, plankton, small fish (like anchovies, dogfish, capelin, coal fish, cod, eels, herring, mackeral) and in the case of the Antarctic Minke, krill. The Antarctic Minke, however, has fewer food options than its Northern Hemisphere counterparts, due to there being fewer other options available.
Minke whales are not considered endangered, although there are many threats facing them. One of these risks is entanglement in fishing gear. Many commercial fishing operations use large nets to trawl for fish, which Minke whales can get tangled in.
