s along the head
anterior to the blowhole. In addition to the medial ridge characteristic
of all the other balaenopterid species, Bryde's whales have two
secondary ridges on the top of the head--one along each side even with
the blowhole running forward towards the tip of the snout. If they can
be examined at close range, Bryde's whales can be positively identified
by this character alone.

The dorsal fin of Bryde's whales is up to 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall,
extremely falcate, pointed on the tip, located well more than one-third
forward from the tail, and is often irregularly notched or frayed on the
rear margin from unknown causes. Bryde's whales are dark gray overall,
though some individuals, like some minke whales, have a small region of
gray on each side just forward of the dorsal fin.

Natural History Notes

Bryde's whales, like minke whales, reportedly often approach close to
vessels as if curious about them. During this time they may be examined
carefully and their identifying characteristics seen.

Though euphausiids may be an important food for this species in limited
areas, Bryde's whales often feed on schooling fish (including pilchards,
anchovies, herring, and mackerel). This food preference is reflected in
the diving behavior of the species. Bryde's whales are not "skimmer"
feeders; they are deeper divers. When they surface to breathe, they
often rise more steeply to the surface, exposing much of the head, roll
the body sharply, and hump up the tail stock before beginning another
dive. In this species, as in the fin whale, it can be generally stated
that the amount of the back which is exposed above the surface as the
animal sounds is approximately twice the height of the dorsal fin. They
apparently do not raise the tail flukes when beginning a dive.

May Be Confused With

At sea Bryde's whales may be confused with sei whales, fin whales, and
perhaps minke whales.

They may be most readily distinguished from sei whales by the
characteristics discussed on p. 32 and by differences in diving
behavior. The shallow-feeding sei whales surface and blow at regular
intervals over long periods of time. Bryde's whales are deeper divers,
less likely to surface, and blow at evenly spaced intervals. If they are
seen only briefly or at a distance, however, the two species may be
impossible to differentiate.

During the winter months, when fin whales may venture into tropical
waters, they may also be confused