Wildlife

Sei Whale Welfare and Ocean Threats

Sei whales are the third largest baleen whale and were heavily hunted in the 20th century, now facing ship strikes and entanglement as they slowly recover.

Key Facts

Sei whales were severely depleted by commercial whaling in the 1960s and 1970s
They are classified as Endangered with populations recovering slowly
Ship strikes cause traumatic injuries and death in areas of high vessel traffic
They feed on copepods and small schooling fish by skimming near the surface
Climate change is altering the distribution of their zooplankton prey

Welfare Considerations

Ship strikes cause massive blunt trauma and propeller injuries. Surface feeding behavior puts sei whales at particular risk from vessel strikes as they skim slowly at the surface. Prey distribution shifts from climate change force longer foraging trips increasing energy expenditure. Historical whaling depleted populations to levels where inbreeding depression affects genetic diversity. Acoustic pollution from shipping disrupts communication.

What You Can Do

Support shipping lane adjustments in sei whale habitat areas
Donate to sei whale research and population monitoring programs
Advocate for speed restrictions on vessels in known sei whale areas
Support climate action protecting zooplankton prey distributions
Engage with shipping companies on whale-safe routing technology