Bryde’s Whale

Scientific Name

Balaenoptera edeni

Order: Mysticeti

Family: Balaenopteridae

*Taxonomy still debated

Size

Males

12-14.5 meters long | 15-25 tons

Females

12.5-15 meters long | 15-25 tons

Cavles

4 meters long | 600-750kg

Life history

Lifespan: Estimated 40-50 years

Sexual Maturity: 6-11 years for both females and males

Gestation is 11 - 12 months with calving every two years. A single calf is born year round with possible peaks in the spring and the calf weans after six months.

population

There is no global estimate of their population.

IUCN status: Least Concern

Identifying Bryde’s Whales

  • Head and Rostrum | Blow

    Bryde’s whales are distinguished by three prominent ridges on the rostrum. Their rostrum is V-shaped and more pointed at the end compared to the fin whale (which it is often confused with). Their blow is 9-10 meters high and columnar to bushy, although often they exhale underwater with little to no visible blow at the surface. The initial exhale splits laterally but combines to form a tall vertical blow. This can be observed in the header video.

  • Body Shape | Color

    Bryde’s whales have a sleek and streamlined body. Their body is dark grey or bluish black. Both jaws are dark grey (distinguished from the fin whale’s right white jaw). The Bryde’s whale is often confused with both the sei whale and the fin whale.

  • Dorsal Fin

    The dorsal fin of a Bryde’s whale is tall and falcate, located two thirds to three quarters back. It has a pointed tip that can be hooked. The dorsal fin rises at a steep angle and is more erect than a fin whale, although less erect than a sei whale. Bryde’s whales can have cookie cutter shark bite scars.

Bryde’s Whales in Southern California

Bryde’s whales are one of the mostly poorly understood baleen whales. They were named after the Norwegian whaler, Johan Bryde, who helped build the first modern whaling station in South Africa. The name is pronounced ‘Broo-dus’ whale. Bryde’s whales are found in warm and temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Bryde’s whales prefer warmer waters above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and are seen in Southern California in the summer months when sea surface temperatures are at their highest.

Bryde’s whales are usually seen alone or in pairs. In Southern California they predominantly feed on schooling fish (sardines, anchovy, etc.) although they can eat small crustaceans. They are fast and agile swimmers who are also active lunge feeders! Seeing a Bryde’s whale in Southern California is rare although local whale watching companies in Orange County have several sightings per year. Usually these sightings are by chance and a Bryde’s whale appears with a group of feeding common dolphins or is found traveling through the area. Several fishermen report seeing Bryde’s whales offshore near Catalina Island, feeding on anchovy along side large schools of tuna.