One of the 4 rorquals on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Balaenopteridae
Bryde's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
Bryde's whale is the only large rorqual that lives all year in warm water, without the great seasonal migrations of its relatives. It is told from the others by three longitudinal ridges on the top of its head, rather than a single one. It feeds on shoaling fish and krill, lunging sideways through the shoals. It largely escaped commercial whaling because of its intermediate size, though it was exploited once the larger species became scarce.
Weight
12 t – 25 t
Size
11.5 m – 15.5 m
Life expectancy
50 years
