An amazingly large animal appeared out of the water. We all gasped, as we saw its head, then back and finally its tail come out of the water and then sink back below the surface. Can you picture that in your mind? This amazing animal was an Antarctic minke whale!
Antarctic minke whales are part of the baleen whale family. They are the third smallest baleen whale in the world. A baleen whale is a whale that has baleen instead of toothed teeth. Baleen looks like a curtain of thick hair hanging from a whale's mouth. It acts as a filter. The whale takes in a big gulp of water and it keeps in the krill and small fish and lets out the water. An Antarctic minke whale is usually black or dark brown. They have streaks of lighter color on their sides and stomach. Their heads are quite narrow.
I was so excited to see the whales! They are majestic, and we could see them very well in the crystal clear water! It is absolutely amazing.
