sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - july/august 2011 - whales - whales: the sea's mysterious giants
Photography by Flip Nicklin/Minden Pictures, from Among Giants | Captions by Della Watson
A dwarf minke whale in the great barrier reef, Australia. The minke got its name from Norwegian whaler Captain Meincke, who earned a reputation for exaggeration by confusing the diminutive cetacean with the much larger blue whale. Today, minkes are the most commonly hunted whales.