BRYDE'S WHALE
Balaenoptera Edeni
Order
Mysticeti
Family
Balaenopteridae
Bryde's whales, also called tropical rorquals, live up to about 50 years, measure between 11 and 16.5 meters, and weigh between 25 and 40 tons. Their diet consists of schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerels, and herring, which they hunt by diving into the schools. In the pelagic environment, they also consume krill, copepods, and pelagic red crabs.
Minke whales live in temperate, tropical, and polar waters of both hemispheres. They are particularly found between the Lesser Antilles and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. They are migratory and move from warm waters in winter to colder waters to feed. They are especially common in coastal waters and estuaries.
In their preferred feeding areas, groups of up to 20 individuals can be observed, whereas they are typically seen alone or in small groups of up to three individuals.
Male sexual maturity is reached around 9 - 13 years, while females reach it at around 10 years. Gestation lasts 11 months, and females give birth to a single calf every 2 years.
- Source : AGOA
Head
Three parallel ridges running from the blowholes to the tip of the V-shaped snout.
Fin
Thin dorsal fin, deeply curved backward.
Pectoral fins
Small (less than 10% of the total body length), slender, lance-shaped, and pointed.
Blow
High and narrow (3 to 4 m).
Swimming sequence
The head emerges first, followed by the back and the dorsal fin. The tail never surfaces. It arches the caudal peduncle strongly to dive.
Coloration
Dark gray back, almost blackish under certain lights, white or slightly yellowish underside.