The relationships between oceanographic conditions and the distribution of common minke whales off southeastern Hokkaido was investigated in this study. Sighting surveys of common minke whales in this region were conducted in September, in 2002 and from 2004 to 2006. The density index (DI, the number of schools per 100 n.miles) of the whales decreased from 5.6 schools in 2002 to 1.2 schools in 2006. During the 4 years in which surveys were conducted, the monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) in the survey area increased from 16.6°C in 2002 to 19.5°C in 2006, while the mean SST recorded at sighting locations was 15.5°C. The proportions of surveyed areas with a monthly mean SST ≤16°C in 2002 and 2004 were 46.5% and 17.0% respectively, whereas in 2005 and 2006, none of these areas had a monthly mean SST of less than 16°C. Pacific saury are among the major prey items of the minke whales in this region, and the number of the fishing boats was used as an indicator of the presence of the species in the surveyed area. The 4 year mean SST at the locations of the boats was 15.1°C. A reduction in the local abundance of the saury from 2002 to 2006 was inferred from the number of the boats operating in the region. These findings suggested that the apparent decline in the abundance of whales in the study area was associated with changes in SST and the availability of Pacific saury.

On 28 February 2014, a dead baleen whale was stranded and found by residents on the east coast of Failaka Island, Kuwait. The specimen was a female with a total length of 14 m. After muscle and internal organ removal and sample collection, the remains of this animal were buried in situ. The Japanese authors of this paper visited Failaka Island to check the condition of the skeleton after about nine months since the stranding event. A total of 44 measurements, including condylobasal length, were made from the dorsal side of the skull. Skull length was 3.222 m, which represented 26.85% of the body length. The skull of the specimen possesses diagnostic characteristics of Bryde’s whale, such as the outer edge of the rostrum being rounded and flattened in dorsal and lateral views, respectively. The number of ribs were 13 on the left, and 12 on the right side. The skeleton was reburied to allow natural decomposition of the remaining soft tissue. As of 2022 we have not been able to excavate this skeleton, but we hope to do so in the near future and hope the specimen will be properly catalogued and permanently stored at some museum or institution in Kuwait.

The dwarf minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.) is a hard to detect small baleen whale whose behavior towards vessels and man-made structures in South Atlantic waters is still not well characterized. This study compiles records on the behavior of this species in Brazil, employing citizen science reports and data from ship and sailboat surveys. A total of 16 records were obtained from 2001 to 2021. The data indicate a consistently curious approach toward boats (81.25% of all identified behaviors). Other identified behaviors included traveling/fleeing (6.25%), and breaching (6.25%). These assessments comprise valuable tools for field identification of this species, as color patterns may become exposed during different aerial displays. This is the first approach to understand the ephemeral behavior of the dwarf minke whale along the southeastern coast of Brazil.

In the Southern Hemisphere, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) feed mainly in the latitudinal range between 50°S and 60°S during the austral summer. In February 2021, five fin whales were sighted about 1,000 km south of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa at position 43°49′S, 19°12′E. Feeding behavior was evident as the whales were lunging laterally into surrounding red patches with their mouth open. Examination of sampled red patches revealed that the fin whales were feeding on either Calanus australis or C. agulhensis. This is the first report of fin whales preying on Calanus spp. in this sea area and time of the year.