A note on the northernmost record of the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Eastern Pacific

In this study the first record of the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in Ecuador (2°7.35'S, 80°45.7'W) is presented. It was a single stranding of a calf of 3.43m in length. The species was identified based on morphological characteristics such as the number and colour of baleen plates, the number and extension of ventral grooves, lack of white flipper patch and the waved greyish light colouration pattern on the flanks, among others. Although only a handful of records exist of this species in the Eastern Pacific, it confirms that the breeding area of this species at least reaches the equator in this region.