Figure 31.—Bryde's whales in the Gulf of California and north of Hawaii (inset). In both, note the tall, sickle-shaped appearance of the dorsal fin, much like that of the sei whale. In the animal in the [larger photo] note the ragged rear margin of the dorsal fin, a frequently observed characteristic in Bryde's whales. In the animal [on the left] note also the region of gray on the sides in front of the dorsal fin. (Photos by W. C. Cummings and S. Ohsumi [inset].)

Figure 32.—Stranded Bryde's whales at Walnut Point, Va. ([top]) and Panacea, Fla., Gulf of Mexico ([bottom]). In both animals note the head shape similar to that of the sei whale, and the three distinct head ridges. In the animal on the bottom, note that the two outermost ridges have their origin in grooves beside the blowholes. In the animal on the top, note also the baleen plates, up to at least 300 per side and dark gray with coarse gray bristles. There is infrequently a rather wide interval at the front of the mouth between the left and right rows of baleen. (Photos by U.S. National Museum, courtesy of J. G. Mead [top] and M. B. Rank, courtesy of Wide World Photos [bottom].)