Bryde's Whale Size report

Bryde's whale (scientific name: Balaenoptera brydei) is a member of the baleen whale family that lives in tropical to temperate waters around the world. Bryde's whale is very similar to the sei whale; the main difference is that the sei whale is on both sides of the central ridge from the front of the upper collar to the blowhole. Each has a ridge line; Bryde's whale has a fold groove from the navel to the genital opening; the spinous processes of the lumbar spine are all inclined backward.

The name was taken from the Norwegian consul John Bryde. Bryde's whales are usually dark gray dorsally and yellowish-white ventrally. There are two air holes on the top of the head, the dorsal fin is prominent and sickle-shaped, two rows of baleen plates on the top of the lower jaw, and about 300 teeth.

The Bryde's whale is an infrequently surface-floating whale and a predatory one. Some plankton is often attached to their body surface. Bryde's whales swim slowly, like to hunt in groups, and are often injured by boats. The following post introduces more interesting facts about Bryde's whales.

Bryde's Whale Size and Appearance

One of the biggest physical features of Bryde's whales is the three raised ridges on the back of the head. The back of the body is usually blue-black, and the belly is white or light yellow. In some populations, there are many white-gray oval spots on the body. The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped and usually rises from the back at a steep angle. The flippers are narrow and slightly pointed, and the back and belly are dark blue-gray. Bryde's whales are filter feeders; they have between 40 and 70 throat pleats that allow their mouths to expand and 250 to 410 coarse baleen plates to sieve their food from seawater. Most baleen plates are dark gray, about 19 cm wide, and 40 cm long (excluding baleen hairs). The beard is thick, hard, light gray, or brown.

Average Size of Bryde's Whale

The body size of the female Bryde's whale is larger than that of the male. The body length of an adult Bryde's whale is at least 11.2 meters for males and at least 11.7 meters for females. The maximum body length of the male is 14.6 meters, and that of the female is 15.6 meters. The typical weight of the Bryde's Whale is in the range of 17-25 tons. Bryde's whales have lifespans between 50-70 years.

Habitats

Bryde's whales can be seen all year round in tropical and temperate waters with temperatures above 16.3°C. The International Whaling Commission (IWC 1996) divides the Bryde's whale activity area in the North Pacific into three parts: the western North Pacific Ocean (west of 150° West Longitude, north of 2° South Latitude), and the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (east of 150° West Longitude, north of 10° south latitude), the East China Sea, and the Gulf of California.

Living Habits

Bryde's whales gather in small groups. Bryde's whales in the North Pacific are usually alone or in groups of 2 to 3, with 12 being the largest group. Their spray tides are about 3~4m high. Usually, after 4 to 5 breaths, do a long dive. Bryde's whales usually swim at a speed of about 2-7km/h, can reach a speed of 20-25km/h when they are fast, and can dive to a depth of 300m. Bryde's cetaceans mainly feed on fishes in oceanic groups, such as sardines, eels, herrings, and scombroids. They also feed on small crustaceans such as krill and copepods, cephalopods, and pelagic red crabs.

Final Words

Bryde's whales are one of the most poorly understood baleen whale species. Bryde's whales are currently considered monotypic. It is a larger form, found primarily in warm oceanic waters. There are no more accurate research results on this large marine creature's specific living habits and mating habits. There needs to be more information to estimate population trends for the Bryde's whale species. Whatever, the protection of wild animals is to care for human beings.