They eat mostly krill.The word krill comes from the Norwegian word for "small fry." Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans about the size of a paper clip. The minke whale loves to be near the open pack ice in the summer. In the winter when there is more ice, the whale sticks its narrow head through cracks in the ice to breathe.
Scientists estimate that there are about 500,000 Antarctic minke whales in the wild. As with all animals in Antarctica, climate change is a concern. Antarctic minke whales have also been targeted by whalers. For example, the Japanese use them as a food source.
