The flukes are broad, distinctively notched and have a slightly concave trailing edge. The Bryde's whale has twin blowholes with a low splashguard to the front. It has no teeth but in their place are two row of baleen plates. The left and right rows of baleen plates may be separated by a gap at the front of the mouth. The baleen colour varies between individuals with most being black or slate-grey, though the plates near the rostrum are often completely or partially creamy white and sometimes with grey stripes.
Baleen bristles are long, stiff, uncurled and generally brownish or greyish in colour.
The trailing edge is sometimes notched or frayed. There may be 2 distinct groups in some areas one occurring offshore and partially migratory and the other living inshore and resident all year-round. The two forms differ slightly in their reproductive behaviour and the offshore animals are usually larger, have more scaring and have longer and broader baleen than the inshore variety. There may also be a 'dwarf' form around the Solomon Islands. Some tropical populations are possibly sedentary with most migrating short distances with no known long-distance migrations to higher latitudes.