Sei whale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sei whale |
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| Sei whale mother and calf | |
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| Size compared to an average human | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Balaenoptera
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| Species: |
borealis
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| Subspecies | |
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| Sei whale range | |
| Synonyms | |
The sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is a large, dark-gray baleen whale. It has a sleek body shape, like a torpedo. You can find these whales all over the world, but they usually avoid the very cold waters near the North and South Poles.
Sei whales often swim in small groups, called pods, with about 3 to 5 whales. Sometimes, if there's a lot of food, many sei whales might gather together. They have special filters in their mouths called baleen. These are fine, grey-black plates that help them catch tiny food particles from the water. Sei whales are a type of rorqual whale, which means they are large baleen whales. They look a bit like Bryde's whales.
About the Sei Whale
The sei whale has a few other interesting names. People sometimes call it the Sardine whale, the Pollack whale, or the Coalfish whale. It's also known as the Japan Finner or Rudolphi's rorqual.
For a long time, many of these whales were hunted. People wanted their oil and meat. The sei whale is known as one of the fastest of the large whales. It can swim very quickly, reaching speeds of about 23 miles per hour (20 knots) for short periods.
What Sei Whales Eat
Sei whales are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They are filter-feeders, which means they strain their food from the water. Their diet mainly consists of tiny sea creatures called plankton. This includes small crustaceans like krill and copepods. They also eat small fish.
Images for kids
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A painting of a sei whale.
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A sei whale showing its distinctive upright dorsal fin.
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A close-up view of baleen plates. These plates are used to strain food from the water. They are attached to the whale's upper jaw and have hair-like fringes at the bottom.
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A sei whale feeding at the surface of the water.
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Krill are small, shrimp-like marine animals. They are one of the sei whale's main food sources.
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A drawing of a sei whale on a stamp from the Faroe Islands. This stamp was issued on September 17, 2001.
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A sei whale (in the front) that was caught near Finnmark.
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A sei whale being hunted off the coast of Japan.
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See also
In Spanish: Rorcual norteño para niños
