Sei Whale
General Information
Life Span
70 years
Occurrence in Faro
Occasional, mostly spring
Pod Composition
alone or in pairs but also up to 5
Max Speed
50km/h
Max Size
21m
Sightings
Rare
Diet
schooling fish, squid, Zooplankton
Dive
20min and at least 300m
SEI WHALE
Balaenoptera borealis
Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is a large, slender rorqual with a tall, curved dorsal fin and a single ridge along its pointed head. Compared to other rorquals, it has fewer folds along its throat and belly, which end just behind the flippers. This species is fast and agile, often gliding quietly beneath the surface and diving in a smooth, sinking motion.Their diet consists of small pelagic prey, captured near the surface or in shallow dives. Sei Whales are usually solitary or in pairs and are generally shy around boats, making sightings rare along the Portuguese mainland coast.