The giant Sei whale reappears after 100 years of absence

After a century of absence due to hunting, giant gray-blue Sei whales are returning to Argentina's Patagonian waters .

In the 1920s and 1930s, whaling along the coast of Argentina and elsewhere caused the number of Sei whales to decline dramatically . However, thanks to a global ban on commercial whaling that has been in place for the past 50 years, Sei whale populations and many other species have had a chance to revive.

Sei whale - (Photo: marinebio.org).

Mr. Mariano Coscarella, a biologist and marine ecosystem research expert at CONICET - Argentina's state scientific agency, shared: " Sei whales disappeared not due to extinction but due to being hunted to the point of extinction." Who sees them anymore ?

Mr. Coscarella said recovering the Sei whale population to the level of regular sightings off the coast of Argentina could take decades.

He said Sei whales breed every 2-3 years, so it took nearly 100 years for the fish's population to increase to a significant level for people to recognize their presence.

Last month, the research team attached satellite tracking devices to several Sei whales to map their migratory journeys. They captured images of these whales from boats, drones and underwater.

Mr. Coscarella affirmed that this is a testament to the success of conservation work on a global scale, and emphasized that the global whaling ban plays a key role in increasing the number of Sei whales.

Third largest whale species

With a length of up to 20.5 meters and a weight of up to 75 tons, the Sei whale is the third largest whale species after the blue whale and fin whale . They are also one of the fastest marine mammals, able to reach speeds of up to 50km/h over short distances.

Sei whales live mainly in oceans and adjacent seas, preferring deep offshore waters. Every day they consume an average of about 900kg of food, mainly plankton, small crustaceans and mollusks.