Details
Balaenoptera borealis
Sei whale is a mammal associated with open ocean. It is a filter feeder and often found in loose groups. Limited range or population size makes protection and habitat management important.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, where it uses open ocean. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 1200-1900 cm, weight 15 t-30 t. It has a streamlined cetacean body plan, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is seasonal in movement or activity and often found in loose groups. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is a filter feeder. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in open ocean, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Balaenoptera borealis. Limited range or population size makes protection and habitat management important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
