Minke Whales tend to prefer shallow
coastal waters and are frequently seen on whale watching trips
around Iceland.
Scientists can study the minke whale by taking photographs of
its back and dorsal fin - which can have quite unique markings.
MINKE WHALE
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Length: 7-10 metres
Humpback whales can be incredibly acrobatic, sometimes
leaping clear of the water!
Individual whales can be studied by taking photographs of their
flukes (tail fins) - which have unique marks - much like a human
fingerprints.
HUMPBACK WHALE
(Megaptera novaeanglia)
Length: 7-10 metres
The blue whale is the largest animal to have ever
lived - it is about the size of 2000 people and has a heart
the size of a car.
Blue whales can be spotted from a distance by their 6-9 metre
blow.
BLUE WHALE
(Balaenoptera sibaldi)
Length: 20-30 metres
An adult male orca has a dorsal fin of up to two
meters in height.
It is also known as the "killer whale" - from when
whalers saw them killing other whale species. However they have
never been known to kill a human in the whale's natural enviroment.
ORCA (KILLER WHALE)
(Orcinus orca)
Length: 6-9 metres
Harbour porpoises are shy of boats and will usually
disappear quickly - so you are lucky if you do spot one!
Harbour porpoises rarely jump out of the water, they are just
seen coming to the surface to breathe, with a rolling action.
HARBOUR PORPOISE
(Phocoena phocoena)
Length: 1.5-2 metres
The white-beaked dolphin is thought to be the
most common dolphin to inhabit Icelandic waters. They are usually
seen in quite small groups.
White-beaked dolphins sometimes get entangled in fishing nets.
