DAILY ENERGY-EXPENDITURE IN FREE-LIVING MINKE WHALES

Six minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were instrumented with V HF-radio transmitters and four with sonic speed-depth transmitters off the west coast of northern Norway and Svalbard and followed within vi ew for up to 24 h. During such periods their respiratory rate was cont inuously recorded and their energy expenditure estimated according to Folkow and Blix (1992) at different swimming speeds and types of activ ity. We found that cost of swimming is remarkably low in these large a nimals and that their estimated daily energy expenditure on average on ly amounts to 80 kJ kg(-1) day(-1).