Body up to ig m long. 



Body dark steel gray on back, often with ovoid grayish-white scars 



that make body appear mottled; white on front of belly; 



under-sides of flippers and flukes dark; Baleen black with fine, 



white to light gray bristles. 

 Dorsal fin to 'Am high, strongly falcate, well more than one-third 



forward from fluke notch; usually forms angle of more than 40 



degrees with back. 

 Distribution extensive; not very common in coldest waters in either 



hemisphere and may have a greater tendency than fin whales to 



enter tropical waters. 

 Distribution more northerly in summer. 

 Flukes not raised on dive. 



Sei Whale 



Balairtoptcra horealis (B) 



Body up to 14 m loniJ. 



Body dark gray overall. 



Head has series of three parallel ridges from area of blowholes to snout. 



Baleen slate gray with coarse dark bristles. 



Dorsal fin to '/m high, falcate, well more than one-third foru'ard 



from fluke notch, often irregularly worn on rear margin. 

 Distribution primarily tropical and warm temperate. 

 Flukes not raised on dive. 



Bryde's Wh.ale 



Balacnoplera cdtni (B) 



Body up to 16 m long. 



Body dark gray to black, usually with irregular white area on throat; 



flippers white below, usually at least partially white above; 



undersides of flukes often have varying amounts of white. 

 Head in front of blowholes flat and covered with knobs. 

 Baleen dark gray to black with gray bristles. 

 Dorsal fin small, quite variable m shape, slightly falcate or triangular 



and located on a step or hump, in last one-third of back. 

 Flippers very long (to nearly one-third of body length), knobs on 



leading edge. 

 Distribution north at least to southern Bering Sea during summer. 

 Distribution to shallow tropical and subtropical banks, winter and spring. 

 Flukes often scalloped on trailing edges and frequently raised on dive. 



Humpback Whale 

 Megaplera novaatrt^lini (A) 



NOTE: Because of its small adult size, usually less than 9 m. the 

 fifth member of the rorqual family, the minke whale, 

 Balaenopura acuiorostraia, is included with the medium-sized 

 whales in this guide. Features by which it may be distinguished 

 from all other rorquals are discussed in the species account. 



38 



