The Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is the only common baleen whale. Individual animals or mothers with calves regularly appear off our coasts.
Description: It differs from the other rorquals in that it has three ridges on its head (the others have only one) and reaches a length of 12 to 14 m and a weight of 12 tonnes. After 12 months of gestation, it is already 3 to 4 metres long and 900 kg heavy at birth. After 6 months he is 7 m long (2.5 t) and has to manage on his own.
Sexual maturity is reached at 12 m at the age of 9 – 13 years, babies can be born every two years.
Its body is torpedo-shaped, the back is dark grey and the belly light grey in colour. The fin is small and curved like a sickle. They strongly resemble the sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), but the latter has only one head crest, is more massive and is only occasionally found.
Bryde’s whales stay between the tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans and do not migrate. They can be present throughout the year, but are more common in spring and summer.
Bryde’s whales have very hard baleen, better for eating small fish like mackerel. They normally breathe once or twice a minute, and after about 5-10 breaths, hump their backs vigorously to announce that they are going to dive for a few minutes. When they hunt, they constantly change their direction and breathing rate.
