When swimming, the fin of the Pygmy Right projects in much that same position and appears very similar to the Minke Whale. In fact, unless the distinctive head appears from the water it is often misidentified as a Minke Whale. For this reason, it may well be that this species is not as rare as was first thought. Rounded and small pectoral fins with broad flukes. There is no ridge on the back and there are only two, deep, well marked throat grooves.
Colour is dark grey above becoming darker with age, fading to a light grey shade below.
There are 230 yellowish-white baleen plates up to 70 centimetres long in each side of the upper jaw. Size average is 1.5 metres at birth to 6.1 metres and 4.5 tonnes at maturity. Females are again slightly larger than the males. Known only in the Southern Hemisphere, from Australia and New Zealand to South Africa, Argentina, the Falkland Islands and the Coast north of Antarctica. The Minke Whale is the smallest of the rorquals.