Minke whales, Balaenoptera Acutorostrata, are some of the smallest baleen whales, growing up to around 30 feet for males and 35 feet for females, and only weigh up to 10 tons (not much for a baleen whale!) They feed on a variety of krill and other plankton. They also eat small fish, which include herring, cod, pollock, sardines, and others. Taking in a large gulp of water by expanding their mouths with 50 -70 ventral grooves, then spit the water back out between their baleen plates, while small hair-like fibers trap the krill or fish inside. The upper jaw has roughly 300 baleen plates on each side. Minkes can swim fast, up to 20 mph! Normally, however, they swim just a few miles per hour. There are estimates of around 800,000 Minke whales in the world, more than any other baleen whale. However, they are being hunted by certain countries, such as Japan and Norway.