Bryde's whales are dark gray in color with a yellowish white underside. They are the second smallest rorqual with an average length of 12 meters, although the female is usually about 1 foot longer than the male. Bryde's whales have two blowholes located on the top of the head. Bryde's whale is often confused with the Sei whale; however, the Bryde's whale has three parallel ridges in the area between the blowholes and the tip of the head. The flippers are small compared to body size. The prominent dorsal fin is sickle shaped. Instead of teeth, these whales have two rows of baleen plates. These plates are located on the top jaw and number approximately 300 on each side. Each baleen plate is short and wide, 50cm x 19cm.

Range mass: 12000 to 20000 kg.