Where do short-finned pilot whales live?
They are commonly found along the coast close to the continental shelf, although some populations have been found to extend into deep, open ocean environments such as in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Pilot whales are often involved in mass strandings for reasons that are still unclear.
How do you identify a pilot whale?
Predominantly dark brownish grey to black, pilot whales have a white to light grey anchor-shaped patch on the chest, a light grey “saddle” behind the dorsal fin, and light grey “eyebrow” streaks. Inside the mouth are 8 to 13 pairs of sharp, pointed teeth in the anterior part of each jaw.
Are pilot whales rare?
Nearly 22,000 individuals live in the east coast stock, and 9,000 in the Hawaiian, making them somewhat depleted in some areas, but not at risk. Worldwide, both the short-finned and long-finned pilot whales reach great numbers.
Are pilot whales actually Dolphins?
Pilot whales are in fact one of the largest members of the dolphin family, but they are treated as whales for the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992 . They were named pilot whales because it was thought that each pod followed a ‘pilot’ in the group.
What is a group of pilot whales called?
Both species live in groups of 10–30, but some groups may number 100 or more. Data suggest the social structures of pilot whale pods are similar to those of “resident” killer whales. The pods are highly stable and the members have close matrilineal relationships.
Can you swim with pilot whales?
In May 1992 a swimmer entered waters south off Hawaii and swam with a group of short-finned pilot whales. During the encounter one whale dramatically changed its behavior and finally attacked the swimmer by opening its mouth and grabing the swimmer’s inner left thigh.
What is a short-finned pilot whale?
Short-finned pilot whales are found globally in tropical and temperate oceans. They are one of two species of pilot whale, along with the long-finned pilot whale. The two species differ slightly in size, features, coloration, and pattern. In the field and at sea, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the two species.
What happened to the pilot whales in Southern California?
Once commonly seen off of Southern California, short-finned pilot whales disappeared from the area after a strong El Niño year in 1982 and 1983, and have since been encountered infrequently, primarily during warm-water years such as 1991, 1993, 1997, 2014, and 2015.
What is the lifespan of a pilot whale?
Short-finned pilot whales mature at around 10 years of age. The maximum lifespan is 45 years for males and 60 years for females. Females have calves every 5 to 8 years. Older females do not give birth as often as younger females. They are pregnant for about 15 months, then nurse for at least 2 years.
What type of animal is a pilot whale?
The Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melaena) is one of the two species of cetacean in the genus Globicephala. Short-finned pilot whales are part of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae) although their behaviour is closer to that of the larger whales.