A Study of the Bryde' s Whale in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

Abstract

Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1879) is a baleen whale that uses baleen plates to filter fish from seawater when feeding. The main food of Bryde's whale is the anchovy. In the upper Gulf of Thailand, Bryde' s whales are distributed along the coastlines of Phetchaburi, Samut Songkram, Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri provinces. This study was conducted during January 2010– December 2012 using photo identification. The method identified the Bryde' s whale population by recognizing the different characteristics of the dorsal fin and other wounds such as marks on the dorsal fin, body and fluke. The color patterns on the upper jaws and in the mouth were also observed. The population of 40 Bryde' s whales was identified as seven females with calves. There were 10 calves in total. The mother and calf pairs stayed together for at least 17 months. Bryde' s whales were mostly found from April to November. It is recognized that the the upper Gulf of Thailand area is suitable for Bryde's whale as feeding, breeding and nursing grounds.