Facts about Sei Whale

1. 07

   During the 1970s, Japan and the Soviet Union together harvested over 27,000 sei whales, accounting for the species' most intensive exploitation period before international protection.

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2. 06

   Sei whale vocalizations include distinctive clicking and whistling patterns that can travel hundreds of miles underwater, enabling communication across ocean basins during migration.

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3. 05

   Commercial whaling reduced sei whale populations from approximately 100,000 in the 1960s to roughly 50,000 today, prompting international protection under the International Whaling Commission moratorium since 1986.

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4. 04

   Sei whales consume up to 900 kilograms of small fish and krill daily during feeding season, using their baleen plates to filter prey from seawater.

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5. 03

   Reaching lengths of up to 56 feet, sei whales are the second-largest baleen whales after blue whales, with females typically growing larger than males.

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6. 02

   Sei whales migrate between 12,000 and 14,000 miles annually, traveling from polar feeding grounds to tropical breeding areas.

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7. 01

   The sei whale can reach speeds of 31 miles per hour, making it the third-fastest cetacean after the sperm whale and fin whale.

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