The Minke whale is our most commonly sighted whale and they are the smallest of the rorqual whales. They can live up to 60 years and can reach 7-10m long and weigh up to 10 tonnes. They are filter feeders and feed on zooplankton and schools of small fish. Their dives rarely last longer than 12 minutes and they can be curious and playful around boats. Like all cetaceans they live in a world of sound, using both echo location to find prey and vocalisations to communicate with each other. They can make sounds up to 152 decibels (as loud as a jet taking off).