Brydes Whale occur year round along the entire coast of South Africa and can be viewed on the
Cape Whale Route.
Named after a Norwegian man, Johan Bryde, who, in 1912, financed the first scientific investigation of whales in South African waters and helped set up the first whaling station in Durban.
Features: Bluish-grey. A slender body, the top of the head is broad and flat. 3 Ridges on the head from the blowhole to the tip of the snout. The dorsal fin is about 45 cm long, sickle-shaped and with a pointed tip
Length: 12 - 14,6 m
Weight: 12 000 - 20 000 Kg
Cruising speed: 4 - 16 knots
Blow: Tall and thin, about 4 m high
Status: Insufficiently known.
Diet: plankton (e.g., krill and copepods), crustaceans (e.g. pelagic red crabs, shrimp) as well as schooling fish (e.g., anchovy, herring, sardine, mackerel, and pilchard).
Reproduction: breed in alternate years; gestation period is estimated at 12 months, mother nurses for 6–12 months and become sexually mature at 8–13 years of age.
More InfoWikipediaSee also
Humpback Whale and
Southern Right Whales