Factsheet Bubbles stream from the jaws of a Bryde’s whale as it dives after a feeding strike. The parallel pleats in its throat have stretched to accommodate the enormous mouthful of seawater and prey
bryde’s whale
Balaenoptera edeni*
the basics length Up to 14.5m (male); up to 15.5m (female). weight Up to 11.3 tonnes (male); up to 16.2 tonnes (female). coloration Grey; paler below. Distinguished from fin whale by the lack of a white patch on the right cheek, and from minke whale by the absence of a white band on the pectoral fin. Diet Small fish, krill, copepods, squid and crabs. Takes mostly schooling fish, but opportunistic: the species may feed mainly on fish in one area or year, and on invertebrates in another location or year. breeding Reaches maturity when 11–12m long, at about 7 years old. Females give birth at 2-year intervals, after a gestation of 11–12 months. May breed all year, but in temperate waters reproduction could be linked to a seasonal migration to warmer areas. HABITAT Open ocean. Lifespan Not known. status Listed as “Data Deficient” by IUCN, but generally thought to be fairly abundant: global numbers may approach 100,000.
such as southern Africa’s ‘Sardine Run’ that occurs between May and July, is growing in popularity. Divers drop into the middle of multi-species feeding frenzies, during which the appearance of one or more Bryde’s whales has been known to cause a rash of soiled wetsuits. It’s a very risky pastime (see box, p49). Down in one One of my first encounters with a Bryde’s whale also took place in South African waters. I was photographing a ball of sardines being attacked by sharks and gannets when a whale surged vertically up from the depths like a missile, punching a giant hole through the school of fish (Charles Maxwell, with whom I was diving, captured the action on video for the BBC’s Blue Planet series). More recent tv footage shows a Bryde’s whale nearly catching a shark in its mouth, and I have frequently seen the species swerve
to avoid sealions, marlins and humans – all of which might fit into its jaws but would never pass down its throat. Everything in the path of a charging whale scatters in all directions, and I was amazed by how often most of the sardines managed to elude the predator. Time and again, a whale would blast through a school and be rewarded with only a few fish, or even none. Could a handful of fish possibly replace the energy burned during repeated high-speed charges? Perhaps the whales were distracted by our presence, which affected their ability to hunt. Or were they merely using small baitballs at the surface as target practice and feeding mainly in deeper water, out of sight? It might be years before we begin to unravel the hidden lives of these majestic creatures.
* Some scientists recognise several species and call this form B. brydei.
Distribution Bryde’s whale range This species is found worldwide in warm waters. Some populations migrate, but others appear to be resident.
After studying marine biology and fisheries science, Doug Perrine took a detour into photojournalism. He has been a professional marine wildlife photographer for 25 years. October 2012
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