Question 1

True or false: Sei whales migrate from polar feeding grounds to tropical breeding grounds each year.

Accepted Answer

True. Like many baleen whales, they follow seasonal plankton blooms, moving to warmer waters for breeding.

Question 2

True or false: Sei whales have a single blowhole, unlike most baleen whales which have two.

Accepted Answer

False. All baleen whales, including sei whales, have two blowholes. Toothed whales have one.

Question 3

True or false: Sei whales can dive for over an hour when hunting deep prey.

Accepted Answer

False. They typically dive for only 5-15 minutes. Sperm whales hold the record for hour-long dives.

Question 4

True or false: Sei whales are among the least studied of the large whale species due to their elusive nature.

Accepted Answer

True. They avoid boats and often travel in unpredictable patterns, making research difficult.

Question 5

True or false: The sei whale is the fastest whale, reaching speeds over 40 miles per hour.

Accepted Answer

False. While fast, sei whales top out around 35 mph, but the orca or fin whale can be faster.

Question 6

True or false: Sei whales have a distinctive white patch on their lower jaw that helps scientists identify individuals.

Accepted Answer

True. This asymmetrical white patch on the right side of the lower jaw is unique to each whale.

Question 7

True or false: A sei whale's name comes from the Norwegian word 'seje', meaning pollock, a fish it often feeds near.

Accepted Answer

True. Norwegians noticed sei whales appeared when pollock (seje) arrived, so they named them accordingly.

Question 8

True or false: Sei whales are actually a subspecies of the Bryde's whale, not a separate species.

Accepted Answer

False. They are distinct species. Sei whales have three ridges on the head, while Bryde's whales have one.

Sei Whale Trivia Questions