Minke whales are the smallest and most abundant of the great whales. They rarely exceed the size of 9 meters. They are rather tame, especially after they were protected, so many an Icelander has seen them wallowing alongside of boats, showing their curious nature. They often go well into fjords following their prey, which consists mostly of sand-eels and other abundant small fish. They will sometimes show eagerness to play and can even clear themselves almost totally out of the water while jumping. Minke whale meat was for a long time an everyday part of the Icelandic diet, it was much cheaper than other kinds of meat but quite tasty. It has been unavailable for many years and it is doubtful that it would regain it's popularity even though the hunt would resume.