It wasn’t until 1987 that commercial whaling of this 60-foot baleen whale came to an end. They swim deep and far from coastlines, and have not been spotted in New Jersey recently – although, despite their size, it’s hard to tell if they’re there! Similarly, it is difficult to know if the sei whale is now recovering from its depleted numbers. They still get caught up with boats and fishing gear, while the noise from shipping and other man made disturbances such as naval sonar can be disturbing and damaging to these massive creatures.