Bryde's Whale

Photo: David Bell · CC BY-NC

Bryde's whales are occasional visitors to the productive mixing zone at Banks Bay, drawn by the dense baitball aggregations that form when upwelling and surface currents converge. Encounters are rare but remarkable — these medium-sized baleen whales are less shy than blue or fin whales and occasionally approach vessels and divers directly. Sightings are most likely during the transition months (May and November) when oceanographic conditions shift and prey concentrations are highest at the bay's entrance.