BBC - Science & Nature - Sea Life - Fact files: Sei whale

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9 November 2009
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Sei whale
Balaenoptera borealis

Subspecies
Possibly two subspecies - northern and southern.

Life span
They live for up to 74 years.

Statistics
Northern subspecies have a body length of up to 18m and southern subspecies up to 21m. They weigh 20-30 tonnes.

Physical Description
Sei whales have a relatively slender body with a sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Their bodies are dark grey with irregular white markings on the underside and they have a longitudinal ridge on their heads.

Distribution
Sei whales are found in all oceans and adjoining seas, except polar and subtropical regions. They occupy temperate and subpolar regions in the summer.

Diet
They feed on krill, small fish and squid.

Reproduction
Mating occurs during the winter months and females typically give birth every year.

Conservation status
Sei whales are locally common, with a population estimated at 40-60,000. They were heavily exploited, especially in the 1960 and '70s.

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