Typically an offshore species, sei whale are rarely seen from our coasts, and as a result are little known. They reach over 20m in length.
The main food of the sei whale is surface plankton, supplemented by small schooling fish and squid. Their populations are depleted by historic whaling and it is likely that there are only a few thousand sei whales in the North Atlantic.
Action Needed
1. Ensure sei whales are included in management plans of relevant Scottish MPA designations, especially in the Faroes-Shetland Channel.
2. Press for cetacean at-sea monitoring to meet the requirements of the Habitats Directive Article 11.
3. Ensure the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy is fully implemented.
Threats
Historic whaling had a devastating impact on large baleen whale populations, and Sei whales appear not to have recovered from this. Offshore activities such as noise pollution may be causing disturbance.
MSP Nature Champion
