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Minke whales are considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, and can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

Minke whales, considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

Minke whales, considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, can grow up to 26 feet long and weigh up to 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

Filter feeders are everywhere in the animal world, from tiny crustaceans and certain types of coral and krill, to various molluscs, barnacles, and even massive basking sharks and baleen whales.

Like the blue whale, fin whales are balleens, sporting two blowholes and, instead of teeth, hundreds of rows of baleen plates made of keratin.