Sei Whale

• Irish name: Droimeiteach na Saíán
• Latin name: Balaenoptera borealis
• Size: 15 – 20 m
• Diet: Krill and copepods

DESCRIPTION:

They are extremely streamlined with a slender body. The dorsal fin is very tall and sharply curved to a point. The tip of the head is diagnostically curved downwards. They are dark coloured on top and white underneath with dark grey baleen. A large minke or small fin whale may be mistaken for a sei whale.

BEHAVIOUR:

Their blow rises up to 3 m high. This species does not tail fluke and rarely breaches. Their dorsal fin and blow may appear simultaneously, indicating their shorter length and taller dorsal fin compared to a fin whale

IN IRELAND:

Little is known about sei whales in Irish waters. There have been 6 sightings since 1991 with 3 of them from Erris Head in Co. Mayo in the summer of 2009. These were likely all of the same individual.

There have been 2 live strandings in Northern Ireland since 2006 and a third stranding in 2022.