The minkie whale belong to rorqual family and their scientific name means the winged whale and sharp snout, it is also known as the lesser rorqula or the little piked whale. They are baleen whales and have plates of baleen instead of teeth and similarly to the humpback whale they are curious mammals and frequently approach vessels. They are occasionally found in small groups and also in groups for hunting purposes. They are the most abundant of the rorqual species.

They are the smallest of the whale family, second to the pygmy whale and are dark grey or black in colour, with a prominent white band on their flippers. They have a pointed head which is indicated in their scientific name, musculus or sharp snout. According to research the minkie whales in the North Pacific and the Antarctic are remarkable different in their genetic makeup and there is the possibility that they could represent a different species.

The length of the minkie whale is approximately 9.4m or 31ft m fully grown for females and 8.2m or 27ft for the male of the species and can weigh up to 15 tons.

As with the other species whale their stable diet consists of krill and schooling fish such as herring which remain in the whales mouth as the water is filtered out through its 260 - 300 plates of baleen on each side of its mouth, these consist of keratin, a fingernail type material they fray out into fine hairs measuring 20.5cm or 8in in length.

The minkie whale reaches sexual maturity at seven or eight years old with the gestation period for the calf lasting 10-11 months. When the calf is born it measures approximately 2.5m or 8ft in length and will remain with its mother for a relatively short nursing period compared to other whales, at just five months. With the female calving every other year and once they have weaned their calf they will return to their summer feeding grounds.

First grade oil from the blubber which is edible was used for the manufacturing of margarine, and also in the production of soft soap. Oil was also extracted from meat and bones after they were pressure cooked. Meat extract was also produced from the meat and was very edible similar to branded meat extract drinks. The liver was also processed to produce liver oil for medicinal purposes. The meat residue from the pressure cookers was rendered down to make cattle feed and fertilizers. The baleen plates from the mouth which in the olden days were used for stays for ladies corsets but in modern whaling the baleen plates were discarded.