|
The adult sei whale measures between 12 - 16 meters
in length and can weigh between 20 - 30 tons.
The sei whale is distributed globally but is found mainly in offshore
temperate waters. They belong to the family Balaenopteridae, possessing
plates of baleen that filters small crustaceans, fish as well as small mollusks
such as squid and octopus. The sei whale is capable of swimming very fast,
but it generally stays close to the surface and can be followed by the so-called
"fluke prints" or swirls of water created when the whale beats it's tail.
Their pod size is usually about 2 - 5 individuals but it would depend on
food availability. Whalers heavily hunted the sei, particularly during the
1960s. As a result of this the population was severely depleted and, despite
the whaling moratorium imposed by the International Whaling Commission in
1986, the sei still needs a long time to recover. Various threats still linger
which may effect the recovery of the sei population. Among these threats
would be pollution, fishing gear entanglement and collisions with boats,
and recently, Japan started hunting 50 sei whales in the name of ‘scientific
research’.
|
