Diving With Dwarf Minke Whales

Diving with these magnificent creatures was possibly the highlight of all our lives! In the far north Great Barrier Reef you will find, the famous Ribbon Reefs, and on those reefs, a Bommie called Lighthouse. Nothing out of the ordinary for the Great Barrier Reef, except for the fact that once a year for around 6-8 weeks, you can get up close and personal with Dwarf Minke Whales!! Small in stature but big on intrigue.

They might be ‘dwarf’ but adult whales can weigh in at six tones, and grow up to eight meters in length; almost as long as a double-decker bus. The species was only identified in 1981 after approaching scuba divers on a reef. Until recently they were thought to be a subspecies of minke whales, but now DNA testing has shown us that they are in fact a completely individual species all their own. Very little is known about these otherwise solitary whales, who ordinarily roam the oceans as far south as Antarctica. And since no one’s ever witnessed them mating or giving birth, it remains a mystery as to why they come to this very spot.

The theory is they mate and give birth along the way, finally arriving here to socialize and meet each other. Like fingerprints are to humans, the white and grey markings on the sides of a minke whale are unique to each whale, making each one different from the next.

They live to approximately 60 years old, which may not be very old compared to other whale species, but minke whales are definitely one of the fastest types of whales.

They can travel at speeds greater than 20 knots (more than 30km per hour). Like humpbacks, minke whales are baleen feeders. This means they munch on krill and small fish with their comb-like rows of bristles, which allow water to flow through but trap their food.

Minke whales typically come to the surface to breathe every two and a half minutes but can stay underwater for more than 12 minutes. When underwater you can hear the minke whales singing to each other, which is their form of communication.

The majority of the whales that interact with humans tend to be adolescents, who are not old enough to mate or give birth. Often the same whales are seen year after year raising their young, showing them the reef and continuing that pattern through their lineage. So much is still to be discovered about these magnificent creatures.

Their inquisitive nature and gentle demeanor gave us the chance of incredible interactions, that will live long in our memories.