Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic

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Title: Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic
a guide to their identification

Author: Stephen Leatherwood
David K. Caldwell
Howard Elliott Winn

Release date: August 25, 2010 [eBook #33527]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33527

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Transcriber's Notes:

This is a Plain Text Version. It uses the Latin-1 Character set, but
note that the only non-ASCII character used is the degree symbol.

Italic typeface in the original is indicated with _underscores_. Bold
typeface in the original is indicated with UPPER CASE.

A list of other publications (NOAA Technical Reports) appears on the
front cover of the original book, before the title page. This list has
been retained, but has been moved to join the continuation of the list
inside the back cover.

Other changes to the text have been listed after the end of the book.

* * * * *

NOAA Technical Report NMFS CIRC-396

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic

A Guide to Their Identification

STEPHEN LEATHERWOOD, DAVID K. CALDWELL,
and HOWARD E. WINN

with special assistance by
William E. Schevill and Melba C. Caldwell

SEATTLE, WA
AUGUST 1976

UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary
/ NATIONAL OCEANIC AND
/ ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
/ Robert M. White, Administrator
/ National Marine
/ Fisheries Service
/ Robert W. Schoning, Director

[Illustration: NOAA logo]

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402

Stock No. 003-020-00119-0 / Catalog No. C 55.13: NMFS CIRC-396

PREFACE

In March 1972, the Naval Undersea Center (NUC), San Diego, Calif. in
cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Tiburon,
Calif. published a photographic field guide--_The Whales, Dolphins and
Porpoises of the Eastern North Pacific. A Guide to Their Identification
in the Water_, by S. Leatherwood, W.E. Evans, and D.W. Rice (NUC TP
282). This guide was designed to assist the layman in identifying the
cetaceans he encountered in that area and was intended for use in two
ongoing whale observer programs, NUC's Whale Watch and NMFS's Platforms
of Opportunity. The rationale of these programs was that since
oceanographers, commercial and sport fishermen, naval personnel,
commercial seamen, pleasure boaters, and coastal aircraft pilots
together canvas large areas of the oceans which scientists specializing
in whales (cetologists) have time and funds to survey only occasionally,
training those persons in species identification and asking them to
report their sightings back to central data centers could help
scientists more clearly understand distribution, migration, and seasonal
variations in abundance of cetacean species. For such a program to work,
a usable field guide is a requisite. Because the many publications on
the whales, dolphins, and porpoises of this region were either too
technical in content or too limited in geographical area or species
covered to be of use in field identification, and because conventional
scientific or taxonomic groupings of the animals are often not helpful
in field identification, the photographic field guide took a different
approach. Instead of being placed into their scientific groups, species
were grouped together on the basis of similarities in appearance during
the brief encounters typical at sea. Photographs of the animals in their
natural environment, supplemented by drawings and descriptions or tables
distinguishing the most similar species, formed the core of the guide.

Despite deficiencies in the first effort and the inherent difficulties
of positively identifying many of the cetacean species at sea, the
results obtained from the programs have been encouraging. Many seafarers
who had previously looked with disinterest or ignorance on the animals
they encountered became good critical observers and found pleasure in
the contribution they were making. The potential for the expansion of
such observer programs is enormous.

Because of these initial successes and the large number of requests for
packets from persons working at sea off the Atlantic coast of North
America, this guide was planned. Many of the errors and deficiencies of
the Pacific Guide have been corrected, and the discussions of the ranges
of many of the species have been expanded with considerations of the
major oceanographic factors affecting their distribution and movements.
While the present volume, like the Pacific Guide, is intended as an aid
to the identification of living animals at sea, new materials have been
provided to aid in the identification and reporting of stranded
specimens, a major source of data and study material for museums. This
new dimension is expected to assist the U.S. National Museum, various
regional museums, and other researchers actively collecting cetacean
materials for display and study in the implementation of their stranded
animal salvage programs. Through a cooperative effort of this kind, the
best possible use can be made of all materials that become available.

As a part of continuing research, this guide will be revised whenever
possible. Suggestions for its improvement will at all times be welcome.

* * * * *

Funds for the preparation of this guide were provided by a grant to
Stephen Leatherwood from the Platforms of Opportunity Program, National
Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Tiburon, Calif., Paul Sund, Coordinator.

CONTENTS

Introduction 1
Classification of cetaceans 1
Dolphin or porpoise 5
Organization of the guide 5
How to use the guide 7
To identify animals at sea 7
To identify stranded animals 7
To record and report information 7
Directory to species accounts:
Large whales:
With a dorsal fin 10
Without dorsal fin 13
Medium-sized whales:
With a dorsal fin 14
Without dorsal fin 15
Small whales, dolphins, and porpoises with a dorsal fin 16
Species accounts:
Large whales with a dorsal fin:
Blue whale 19
Fin whale 26
Sei whale 32
Bryde's whale 37
Humpback whale 40
Large whales without dorsal fin:
Bowhead whale 49
Right whale 52
Sperm whale 57
Medium-sized whales with a dorsal fin:
Minke whale 63
Northern bottlenosed whale 67
Goosebeaked whale 70
Other beaked whales 74
True's beaked whale 77
Antillean beaked whale 78
Dense-beaked whale 80
North Sea beaked whale 82
Killer whale 84
False killer whale 88
Atlantic pilot whale 91
Short-finned pilot whale 94
Grampus 96
Medium-sized whales without dorsal fin:
Beluga 99
Narwhal 102
Small whales, dolphins, and porpoises with a dorsal fin:
Atlantic spotted dolphin 104
Bridled dolphin 108
Spinner dolphin 110
Striped dolphin 113
Saddleback dolphin 116
Fraser's dolphin 120
Atlantic white-sided dolphin 123
White-beaked dolphin 126
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin 128
Guiana dolphin 132
Rough-toothed dolphin 135
Pygmy killer whale 138
Many-toothed blackfish 142
Pygmy sperm whale 144
Dwarf sperm whale 148
Harbor porpoise 150
Acknowledgments 152
Selected bibliography 152

Appendix A, Tags on whales, dolphins, and porpoises 154

Appendix B, Recording and reporting observations of cetaceans
at sea 160

Appendix C, Stranded whales, dolphins, and porpoises; with a key
to the identification of stranded cetaceans of the western
North Atlantic 163

Appendix D, Recording and reporting data on stranded cetaceans 169

Appendix E, List of institutions to contact regarding stranded
cetaceans 171

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve,
recommend or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material
mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS,
or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or
sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NMFS approves,
recommends or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary
material mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an intent to
cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or
purchased because of this NMFS publication.

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic

A Guide to Their Identification

STEPHEN LEATHERWOOD,[1] DAVID K. CALDWELL,[2] and HOWARD E. WINN[3]

with special assistance by
William E. Schevill[4] and Melba C. Caldwell[2]

[Footnote 1: Biomedical Division, Undersea Sciences Department, Naval
Undersea Center, San Diego, CA 92132.]

[Footnote 2: Biocommunication and Marine Mammal Research Facility, C. V.
Whitney Marine Research Laboratory of the University of Florida, St.
Augustine, FL 32084.]

[Footnote 3: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, Kingston, RI 02881.]

[Footnote 4: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543
and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
02138.]

ABSTRACT

This field guide is designed to permit observers to identify the
cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) they see in the western
North Atlantic, including the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the
coastal waters of the United States and Canada. The animals described
are grouped not by scientific relationships but by similarities in
appearance in the field. Photographs of the animals in their natural
environment are the main aids to identification.

A dichotomized key is provided to aid in identification of stranded
cetaceans and appendices describe how and to whom to report data on live
and dead cetaceans.

INTRODUCTION

All whales, dolphins, and porpoises belong to an order or major
scientific group called the Cetacea by scientists. They are all mammals
(air-breathing animals which have hair in at least some stage of their
development, maintain a constant body temperature, bear their young
alive, and nurse them for a while) which have undergone extensive
changes in body form (anatomy) and function (physiology) to cope with a
life spent entirely in the water. The breathing aperture(s), called a
blowhole or blowholes, has (have) migrated to the top of the head to
facilitate breathing while swimming; the forward appendages have become
flippers; the hind appendages have nearly disappeared, they remain only
as small traces of bone deeply imbedded in the muscles. Propulsion is
provided by fibrous, horizontally flattened tail flukes.

Scientists recognize two suborders of living cetaceans: the whalebone
whales, suborder Mysticeti, and the toothed whales, suborder Odontoceti.
The two groups are separated in the following ways:

BALEEN OR WHALEBONE WHALES. These animals are called whalebone whales
because when fully formed instead of teeth they have up to 800 or more
plates of baleen or whalebone depending from the roof of the mouth. They
use these plates to strain their food, which consists of "krill"
(primarily small crustaceans) and/or small schooling fish, by taking
water into the mouth and forcing it out through the overlapping fringes
of the baleen plates. Baleen whales are externally distinguishable from
toothed whales by having paired blowholes. There are eight species of
baleen whales in the western North Atlantic, ranging in size from the
minke whale (just over 30 feet [about 9.1 m])[5] to the blue whale (85
feet [25.9 m]).

[Footnote 5: Throughout this guide, measurements are given first in feet
or inches, followed in parentheses by their equivalents in meters or
centimeters. It is recognized that field estimates cannot be as precise
as most of the conversions used.]

TOOTHED WHALES. Unlike the baleen whales, the toothed whales do have
teeth after birth. The teeth vary in number from 2 to over 250, though
they may sometimes be concealed beneath the gum. In addition, toothed
whales have only a single blowhole. This group includes the animals
commonly called dolphin or porpoise as well as some commonly called
whales (for example, the sperm whale). There are currently about 30
species of toothed whales known from the western North Atlantic, ranging
in maximum adult size from the common or harbor porpoise, which is
approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) long, up to the sperm whale which reaches a
length of 68 feet (20.7 m). Several other species which are expected to
be found in this region, though they have not yet been reported, are
also included in this guide.

CLASSIFICATION OF CETACEANS

In addition to the two suborders (Mysticeti and Odontoceti), the
cetacean order contains numerous families, genera, and species. Each of
these groupings represents a progressively more specialized division of
the animals into categories on the basis of similarities in their
skulls, postcranial skeletons, and external characteristics. The
discipline which concerns itself with naming an animal and assigning it
to its appropriate scientific category is known as taxonomy. An example
of the classification of a cetacean species is shown in the following:

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE
ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSED DOLPHIN

Kingdom: Animalia all animals

Phylum: Chordata having at some stage a notochord,
the precursor of the backbone

Subphylum: Vertebrata animals with backbones--fishes,
amphibians, reptiles, birds,
and mammals

Class: Mammalia animals that suckle their young

Order: Cetacea carnivorous, wholly aquatic
mammals: whales, including
dolphins and porpoises

Suborder: Odontoceti toothed whales as distinguished
from Mysticeti, the baleen whales

Family: Delphinidae dolphins

Genus: Tursiops bottlenosed dolphins

Species: truncatus Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin

Modern taxonomy had its origin with the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus,
whose tenth edition of the _Systema Naturae_ in 1758 forms the official
starting point. Following Linnaeus, modern scientific names consist of
two words, a generic name, which has an initial capital, and a species
name, which rarely does, occasionally in botany (some species names
deriving from a person's name are capitalized). Both names are usually
of Latin origin (sometimes Greek) and are italicized or underlined.
These scientific names are of particular importance because, although
common names of species often are different in different countries or
even in different regions of the same country, the scientific name
remains the same. For example, the right whale is universally known as
_Eubalaena glacialis_ though its common names include black right whale,
nordcaper, sletbag, Biscay whale, and Biscayan right whale.

Although classification of many species is still in a state of flux, the
classification of western North Atlantic cetaceans followed in this
guide is as follows:

Page of
synoptic account
of the species

Order Cetacea

Suborder Mysticeti--Baleen whales

Family Balaenopteridae--Rorquals

_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_ Lacepede 1804 Minke whale 63

_Balaenoptera physalus_ (Linnaeus 1758) Fin whale 26

_Balaenoptera musculus_ (Linnaeus 1758) Blue whale 19

_Balaenoptera borealis_ Lesson 1828 Sei whale 32

_Balaenoptera edeni_ Anderson 1879 Bryde's whale 37

_Megaptera novaeangliae_ (Borowski 1781) Humpback whale 40

Family Balaenidae--Right whales

_Balaena mysticetus_ Linnaeus 1758 Bowhead whale 49

_Eubalaena glacialis_ (Borowski 1781) Right whale 52

Suborder Odontoceti--Toothed whales

Family Ziphiidae

_Mesoplodon bidens_ (Sowerby 1804) North Sea
beaked whale 82

_Mesoplodon densirostris_ (Blainville in Dense-beaked
Desmarest 1817) whale 80

_Mesoplodon europaeus_ (Gervais 1855) Antillean beaked whale 78

_Mesoplodon mirus_ True 1913 True's beaked whale 77

_Ziphius cavirostris_ G. Cuvier 1823 Goosebeaked whale 70

_Hyperoodon ampullatus_ (Forster 1770) Northern bottlenosed
whale 67

Family Physeteridae

_Physeter catodon_ Linnaeus 1758 Sperm whale 57

_Kogia breviceps_ (Blainville 1838) Pygmy sperm whale 144

_Kogia simus_ (Owen 1866) Dwarf sperm whale 148

Family Monodontidae

_Monodon monoceros_ Linnaeus 1758 Narwhal 102

_Delphinapterus leucas_ (Pallas 1776) Beluga 99

Family Stenidae

_Steno bredanensis_ (G. Cuvier in Rough-toothed dolphin 135
Lesson 1828)

_Sotalia guianensis_ (P. J. van Guiana dolphin 132
Beneden 1864)

Family Delphinidae

_Peponocephala electra_ (Gray 1846) Many-toothed blackfish 142

_Feresa attenuata_ Gray 1874 Pygmy killer whale 138

_Pseudorca crassidens_ (Owen 1846) False killer whale 88

_Globicephala melaena_ (Traill 1809) Atlantic pilot whale 91

_Globicephala Gray 1846 Short-finned pilot whale 94
macrorhynchus_

_Orcinus orca_ (Linnaeus 1758) Killer whale 84

_Lagenorhynchus Gray 1846 White-beaked dolphin 126
albirostris_

_Lagenorhynchus acutus_ (Gray 1828) Atlantic white-sided
dolphin 123

_Lagenodelphis hosei_ Fraser 1956 Fraser's dolphin 120

_Tursiops truncatus_ (Montagu 1821) Bottlenosed dolphin 128

_Grampus griseus_ (G. Cuvier 1812) Grampus 96

_Stenella longirostris_ Gray 1828 Spinner dolphin 110

_Stenella frontalis_ (G. Cuvier 1829) Bridled dolphin 108

_Stenella coeruleoalba_ (Meyen 1833) Striped dolphin 113

_Stenella plagiodon_ (Cope 1866) Spotted dolphin 104

_Delphinus delphis_ Linnaeus 1758 Saddleback dolphin 116

Family Phocoenidae

_Phocoena phocoena_ (Linnaeus 1758) Harbor porpoise 150

This tentative classification follows an unpublished list by W.E.
Schevill and E.M. Mitchell currently under review. The scientific names
are followed by the name of the individual who named the species and the
year of naming, and then by the common name most often used in the
western North Atlantic.[6] It may be noted that some of the authors are
in parentheses. This indicates that though the species name has remained
the same since the date of naming the species has since been assigned to
another genus. Because the species are not arranged in taxonomic order
in this field guide, the page of the synoptic account of each is
provided in the column to the right.

[Footnote 6: Most common names are based on some characteristic of the
species (e.g., spotted dolphin, striped dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin);
others are the names of authors of the species (e.g., True's beaked
whale) or of habitats or macrohabitats which they inhabit (e.g., North
Sea beaked whale and harbor porpoise); the origins of some common names,
however, are less obvious (e.g., dense-beaked whale), and of less use in
field references.]

[Illustration: Figure 1.--The western North Atlantic, from lat.
35 deg.N-65 deg.N.]

[Illustration: Figure 2.--The western North Atlantic, from lat. 37 deg.N
south to eastern Venezuela.]

[Illustration: Figure 3.--A baleen whale (humpback) showing the main
body parts referred to in the text.]

[Illustration: Figure 4.--A fin whale in the North Atlantic with the
paired blowholes open during respiration. The paired blowholes
distinguish this animal as a baleen whale. (_Photo by W. A. Watkins._)]

DOLPHIN OR PORPOISE

There is still considerable controversy over the correct usage of the
terms dolphin and porpoise. As mentioned in the preceding section,
common names of any species may vary from locale to locale and even from
individual to individual. Some persons argue for the use of the term
porpoise for all small cetaceans. Others insist on the term dolphin.
Still others either randomly use the terms or call members of the family
Delphinidae dolphins and members of the family Phocoenidae porpoises.
The evidence supporting any one of these positions is confusing at best
and no usage of terms appears to be without problems. We see no wholly
satisfactory resolution to the problem at this time. For all these
reasons, we have little desire to defend our decision to follow the last
of these practices in this guide, referring to all members of the family
Delphinidae for which the term dolphin or porpoise appears in the common
name as dolphins, and to the one member of the family Phocoenidae
represented in the western North Atlantic, _Phocoena phocoena_, as the
harbor porpoise. Although all cetaceans may be regarded as whales, the
term "whale" most commonly applies to the larger animals. For all
species treated, other common names by which they may be known are also
listed.

Detailed treatment of the relative merits of the various terminologies
is inappropriate here. Furthermore, it is our opinion that the usage of
the terms dolphin, porpoise, and whale as part of the common names of
cetaceans is largely a matter of personal preference.

ORGANIZATION OF THE GUIDE

The differences between baleen and toothed whales are easy enough to see
in animals washed up on the beach or maintained in a tank at a zoo or
aquarium. But since an animal at sea can seldom be examined that
closely, its most obvious characteristics may be its overall size, the
presence or absence of a dorsal fin, its prominent coloration or
markings, its general behavior, or its swimming, blowing, and diving
characteristics. For that reason, regardless of their scientific
relationships, all the whales, dolphins, and the one porpoise covered in
the main text of this guide are divided into three groups. Those over 40
feet (12.2 m) long are discussed in the section on Large Whales, those
from 13 to 40 feet (4.0 to 12.2 m) in the Medium-Sized Whale, and those
less than 13 feet (4.0 m) in the Small Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoise
(with a dorsal fin). There are no small whales, dolphins, or porpoises
in this region without a dorsal fin. Each section is further divided
into those animals with a dorsal fin and those without. From that point,
animals likely to be confused in the field are grouped together and the
important differences between them are discussed.

The synoptic accounts of the species are followed by five appendices:
Appendix A discusses and illustrates man-made and applied tags and
natural markings on cetaceans and their importance in studies of natural
history. Appendix B discusses the data which are most important to
record in observations of cetaceans at sea, gives examples, and provides
blank sighting forms. Appendix C discusses possible causes of cetacean
strandings and the manner in which stranded animals should be handled
and adds a key and tables to aid in identifying stranded cetaceans.
Appendix D provides guidelines for collecting data on stranded cetaceans
and provides forms and specific instructions for taking standard
measurements. Appendix E lists institutions to be contacted in the event
of a cetacean stranding or for information.

A bibliography of useful references on cetaceans in general and
cetaceans of this region in particular and a directory to species
accounts are included.

[Illustration: Figure 5.--A humpback whale lying on its left side on the
deck of a Canadian whaling station. Note the fringes of baleen suspended
from the roof of the mouth. (_Photo by J. G. Mead_.)]

[Illustration: Figure 6.--Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin mother and calf
from northeastern Florida. Note the single open blowhole, a
characteristic that marks these animals as toothed whales. (_Photo
courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 7.--The open mouth of an Atlantic bottlenosed
dolphin from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. All toothed whales have
teeth, which are used primarily for grasping rather than for chewing.
The number varies from 2 to over 250, though they are buried beneath the
gums in females and immature animals of several species, take peculiar
form in one (narwhal), and are extensively worn in others. (_Photo by D.
K. Caldwell._)]

HOW TO USE THE GUIDE

To Identify Animals at Sea

The three major sections of the guide (i.e., large, medium, and small
whales) are preceded by a directory to species accounts, which is a
summary of the most obvious characteristics of each species and in which
summary statements about each characteristic are arranged in parallel
order. To use the guide to identify living animals observed at sea, a
person or persons should:

1. First estimate the animal's size and determine whether or not it has
a dorsal fin.

2. Note also any distinctive features of body shape and coloration and
observe its general behavior, including swimming, blowing, and diving
characteristics. It should be noted that coloration may vary somewhat at
sea, depending on light conditions and water clarity. For example,
animals which appear dark gray or black at the surface or when dead may
appear brown in good light or when submerged. Making a brief sketch at
this point may aid in identifying the animal or in later recalling its
distinctive features.

3. Using the directory, locate the section to which the animal probably
belongs.

4. Then, for more detailed information, consult the section indicated.
There you will find a more complete discussion of the animal's range,
size, and distinctive characteristics. In addition, you will find a
brief discussion distinguishing it from animals with which it is likely
to be confused in the field.

* * * * *

This guide will probably work best if, in advance of attempting to use
the key in the field, the reader will familiarize himself with the
general outline, with characters or behaviors to note, and with the
locations of the various species accounts. It will also help if he
schools himself to ask a series of questions about the animal(s) he sees
at the time of the encounter rather than depending on his recall at a
later time (see p. 160). As we have emphasized several times in this
guide, positive identification of cetaceans at sea can only occasionally
be made on the basis of a single characteristic. Therefore, the greater
the amount of pertinent evidence an observer obtains, the greater the
likelihood he can make a reliable identification.

To Identify Stranded Animals

Stranded animals can best be identified by referring to Appendix C and
its associated tables, making a preliminary determination and then
consulting the species accounts in the main body of the book for
verification of the identification. As noted in that appendix, if the
animal is recently stranded, identification can be made using any of the
externally visible characteristics described for the living species at
sea. But even if the animal is in an advanced stage of decomposition, it
can usually be identified by referring to the key and to the numbers and
descriptions of baleen plates, for all baleen whales, and the numbers
and relative lengths of ventral grooves, for all balaenopterine whales
(Table 1), or to the tables on the numbers and descriptions of teeth,
for toothed whales (Table 2).

To Record and Report Information

As discussed in the preface, though learning to identify the whales,
dolphins, and porpoises one sees may be exciting in itself, many persons
may want to participate in the accumulation of data on these interesting
animals by routinely reporting their observations to scientists who are
actively studying them and who can make immediate use of the
information. The following may help these persons:

Suggestions for making and recording observations of cetaceans at sea
and sample data forms are included in Appendix C. Similar suggestions
for taking and recording data on stranded cetaceans are included in
Appendix D. For both types of data, blank data forms located after the
appendices may be photocopied in bulk for use in the field.

Completed data forms and all associated information for sightings at sea
should be forwarded to the Platforms of Opportunity Program, National
Marine Fisheries Service, Tiburon, CA 94920, or to one of the authors of
this guide. From there, they will be made available to scientists
actively studying the cetaceans of a given species or geographical area.

Completed data forms and all associated information for observations of
stranded cetaceans should be forwarded to the Division of Mammals, U.S.
National Museum, Washington, DC 20560, to one of the authors of this
guide, or to one of the regional laboratories listed in Appendix E.
These persons have, in turn, been encouraged to keep a free flow of
information among them.

Table 1. Ranges in Numbers of Teeth in Each Upper and Lower Jaw of
Western North Atlantic Odontocetes.

[P] = Page of species account
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |Ranges in |
| | | tooth
| | | counts |
| Species | |-----+-----|
Species common name |scientific name |[P]|Upper|Lower| Remarks
--------------------+----------------+---+-----+-----+------------------------
Sperm whale |_Physeter_ | 57| 0 |18-25|Ten to sixteen upper
| _catodon_ | | | | teeth _rarely_ emerge;
| | | | | lower teeth fit into
| | | | | sockets in upper jaw.
Northern |_Hyperoodon_ | 67| 0 | 2(2)|At tip of lower jaw;
bottlenosed whale | _ampullatus_ | | | [A] | sometimes second
| | | | | pair behind first.
Goosebeaked whale |_Ziphius_ | 70| 0 | 2[A]|At tip of lower jaw.[B]
| _cavirostris_ | | | |
True's beaked whale |_Mesoplodon_ | 77| 0 | 2[A]|At tip of lower jaw.[B]
| _mirus_ | | | |
Antillean beaked |_Mesoplodon_ | 78| 0 | 2[A]|At suture of mandible.
whale | _europaeus_ | | | | One-third of way
| | | | | from tip of snout to
| | | | | gape.[B]
Dense-beaked whale |_Mesoplodon_ | 80| 0 | 2[A]|On prominences near
| _densirostris_| | | | corner of mouth;
| | | | | oriented backwards.[b]
North Sea beaked |_Mesoplodon_ | 82| 0 | 2[A]|About halfway from
whale | _bidens_ | | | | tip of snout to
| | | | | gape.[B]
Killer whale |_Orcinus orca_ | 84|10-12|10-12|Prominent; curved and
| | | | | oriented backwards
| | | | | and inwards; pointed.
False killer whale |_Pseudorca_ | 88| 8-11| 8-11|Prominent; pointed
| _crassidens_ | | | | and curved.
Atlantic pilot whale|_Globicephala_ | 91| 8-10| 8-10| -- --
| _melaena_ | | | |
Short-finned pilot |_Globicephala_ | 94| 7-9 | 7-9 | -- --
whale | _macrorhyncha_| | | |
Grampus |_Grampus_ | 96| 0 | 0-7 |Near front of jaw;
| _griseus_ | | | | may have fallen out
| | | | | in older specimens;
| | | | | sometimes teeth in
| | | | | upper jaw.
Beluga |_Delphinapterus_| 99| 8-11| 8-9 | -- --
| _leucas_ | | | |
Narwhal |_Monodon_ |102| 2 | 0[A]|One (rarely both)
| _monoceros_ | | | | grows up to 9 ft
| | | | | (2.5 m) tusk which
| | | | | has left-hand
| | | | | (sinestral) spiral.
Spotted dolphin |_Stenella_ |104|30-36|28-35| -- --
| _plagiodon_ | | | |
Bridled dolphin |_Stenella_ |108|29-34|33-36| -- --
| _frontalis_ | | | |
Spinner dolphin |_Stenella_ |110|46-65|46-65| -- --
| _longirostris_| | | |
Striped dolphin |_Stenella_ |113|43-50|43-50| -- --
| _coeruleoalba_| | | |
Saddleback dolphin |_Delphinus_ |116|40-50|40-50| -- --
| _delphis_ | | | |
Fraser's dolphin |_Lagenodelphis_ |120|38-44|38-44| -- --
| _hosei_ | | | |
Atlantic white-sided|_Lagenorhynchus_|123|30-40|30-40|Some specimens have
dolphin | _acutus_ | | | | more teeth in upper
| | | | | than in lower jaw.
White-beaked dolphin|_Lagenorhynchus_|126|22-28|22-28| -- --
| _albirostris_ | | | |
Atlantic bottlenosed|_Tursiops_ |128|20-26|18-24| -- --
dolphin | _truncatus_ | | | |
Guiana dolphin |_Sotalia_ |132|26-35|26-35| -- --
| _guianensis_ | | | |
Rough-toothed |_Steno_ |135|20-27|20-27|Crown is sometimes
dolphin | _bredanensis_ | | | | marked with many
| | | | | fine vertical
| | | | | wrinkles.
Pygmy killer whale |_Feresa_ |138| 8-13|10-13|Many specimens have.
| _attenuata_ | | | | fewer teeth on right
| | | | | than on left side.
Many-toothed |_Peponocephala_ |142|22-25|21-24| -- --
blackfish | _electra_ | | | |
Pygmy sperm whale |_Kogia_ |144| 0 |12-16|Rarely 10 or 11;
| _breviceps_ | | | | curved back and
| | | | | inwards; fit into
| | | | | sockets in upper jaw.
Dwarf sperm whale |_Kogia simus_ |148| 0-3 | 8-11|Rarely 13; curved
| | | | | back and in; sharply
| | | | | pointed; fit into
| | | | | sockets in upper jaw.
| | | | | Rarely has 1-3 upper
| | | | | teeth as well.
Harbor porpoise |_Phocoena_ |150|22-28|22-28|Spade shaped, laterally
| _phocoena_ | | | | compressed, and
| | | | | relatively small.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Footnote A: Usually erupted from gums only in adult [MALES].]

[Footnote B: May have toothpick size vestigial teeth in either jaw.]

Table 2. Body Size; Numbers, Maximum Dimensions and Descriptions of
Baleen Plates; and Numbers and Relative Lengths of Ventral Grooves of W.
N. Atlantic Mysticetes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | Maximum dimensions|
| | | | | of plates |
| | | | |-------------------|
| | | |Number | | Width |
| | | Maximum | of | Length | base |
| |Page of| body |baleen |----+----+----+----|
Species | Species |species| size[C] |plates/ | ft/| | ft/| |
common name |scientific name|account| ft(m) | side | in.| cm | in.| cm |
-------------+---------------+-------+---------+--------+----+----+----+----|
Blue whale |Balaenoptera | 19 |85 (26.0)|270-395 | 33"| 84| 12"| 30 |
| musculus | | | | | | | |
Fin whale |Balaenoptera | 26 |79 (24.0)|262-473 | 29"| 72| 12"| 30 |
| physalus | | | | | | | |
Sei whale |Balaenoptera | 32 |62 (19.0)|318-340 | 31"| 78| 15"| 39 |
| borealis | | | | | | | |
Bryde's whale|Balaenoptera | 37 |46 (14.0)|250-300?| 17"| 42| 10"| 24 |
| edeni | | | | | | | |
Humpback |Megaptera | 40 |53 (16.0)|270-400 | 24"| 60| 5"| 13 |
whale | novaeangliae | | | | | | | |
Bowhead whale|Balaena | 49 |65 (19.8)|325-360 | 14'| 414| 14"| 36 |
| mysticetus | | | | | | | |
Right whale |Eubalaena | 52 |53 (16.0)|250-390 |7.3'| 223| 12"| 30 |
| glacialis | | | | | | | |
Minke whale |Balaenoptera | 63 |31 (10.0)|300-325 | 8"| 21| 4"| 10|
| acutorostrata| | | | | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Footnote C: As stated in the Index to the species, these figures
represent maximum sizes recorded for the W. N. Atlantic. For all species
exploited by whaling industries' current maximum sizes will be
substantially smaller than these figures (see species accounts).]

DIRECTORY TO SPECIES ACCOUNTS

LARGE WHALES

(40-85 feet [12-26 m] maximum overall length)

With a Dorsal Fin

All five species of large whales with a dorsal fin belong to the same
major baleen whale group, the balaenopterid whales or rorquals. All are
characterized by the presence of a series of ventral grooves, usually
visible on stranded specimens and the length and number of which are
diagnostic to species. In addition, all species, with the exception of
the humpback whale, have at least one distinctive (though often not
prominent) ridge along the head from just in front of the blowhole to
near the tip of the snout. (The humpback whale, on the other hand, is
distinguished by numerous knobs, some of which are located along the
line of the head ridge, with others scattered on the top of the head.)
In Bryde's whale, the single head ridge characteristic of the other
rorquals is supplemented by two auxiliary ridges, one on each side of
the main ridge.

At sea, these whales often appear very similar and must be examined
carefully before they can be reliably identified.

In general, though the characteristics of behavior may vary from one
encounter to the next, based on the activities in which the animal is
engaged, whales in this group may be distinguished from each other on
the basis of differences in 1) the size, shape, and position of the
dorsal fin and the timing of its appearance on the surface relative to
the animal's blow (in general, the larger the whale, the smaller the
dorsal fin--the further back its position and the later its appearance
on the surface after the animal's blow); 2) the height of body in the
area of the dorsal fin, relative to the size of the dorsal fin, which is
exposed as the animal sounds; 3) sometimes the blow rate and movement
patterns; and 4) the shape and color of the head.

Despite variability in behavior by members of the same species from one
encounter to the next, an observer can greatly increase the reliability
of his identification by forming the habit of working systematically
through a set of characteristics for the species rather than depending
on any single characteristic.

[Sidenote: BLUE WHALE

_Balaenoptera musculus_

p. 19]

Body very large, up to 85 feet (25.9 m) long.[7]
Body basically bluish with mottlings of grayish white.
Baleen all black.
Head broad and nearly U-shaped, viewed from above.
Head flat in front of blowhole, viewed from side.
Dorsal fin small (to 13 inches [33 cm]), triangular to moderately
falcate, in the last one-third of back.
Distribution primarily from temperate seas to pack ice; rare in
tropics.
Distribution more northerly during summer.
Flukes occasionally raised slightly on long dive.

[Footnote 7: These figures are all near maximum sizes recorded for the
North Atlantic. For all species which have historically been exploited
by whale fisheries present maximum sizes may be significantly less than
these figures.

It should also be noted that differences in methods of measurements
often account for discrepancies in reported lengths.]

[Sidenote: FIN WHALE

_Balaenoptera physalus_

p. 26]

Body large, up to 79 feet (24 m) long.
Body mostly dark gray or brownish gray; undersides of flukes and
flippers and belly white; grayish-white chevron frequently on
back behind head.
Right lower lip white; right upper lip sometimes white; left lip
dark.
Head V-shaped, viewed from above.
Right front one-third to one-fifth of baleen plates, yellowish
white.
Other baleen bluish gray with yellowish-white stripes.
Dorsal fin to 24 inches (61 cm), slightly more than one-third
forward from tail; forms angle of less than 40 deg. with back.
Distribution extensive but not very common near pack ice and in
tropics.
Distribution more northerly during summer.
Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: SEI WHALE

_Balaenoptera borealis_

p. 32]

Body up to 62 feet (19 m) long.
Body appears shiny; dark gray on back, often with ovoid
grayish-white scars; white on front of belly; undersides of
flippers and flukes dark.
Baleen grayish or ash black with fine, light-gray bristles.
Dorsal fin to 24 inches (61 cm), strongly falcate, well more than
one-third forward from tail; forms angle of more than 40 deg. with
back.
Distribution extensive; are not very common in cold waters and
may have a greater tendency than fin whales to enter tropical
waters.
Distribution more northerly in summer.
Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: BRYDE'S WHALE

_Balaenoptera edeni_

p. 37]

Body up to 46 feet (14 m) long.
Body dark gray overall.
Head has series of three ridges from area of blowhole to snout.
Baleen slate gray with coarse dark bristles.
Dorsal fin to 18 inches (45.7 cm), falcate, well more than
one-third forward from tail, often irregularly worn on rear
margin.
Distribution primarily tropical and southern temperate.
Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: HUMPBACK WHALE

_Megaptera novaeangliae_

p. 40]

Body up to 53 feet (16.2 m) long.
Body dark gray with irregular white area on belly; flippers
white; underside of flukes often has varying amounts of white.
Head in front of blowhole flat and covered with knobs.
Baleen dark gray to black with olive-black bristles.
Dorsal fin small, quite variable in shape, usually hooked,
located on a step or hump, in last one-third of back.
Flippers very long (to nearly one-third of body length), white,
and scalloped on leading edge.
Distribution at least New England to Iceland and Greenland during
summer.
Distribution to shallow tropical banks, winter and spring.
Flukes often scalloped on trailing edges and sometimes raised on
dive.

NOTE: Because of its small adult size, usually less than 30 feet (9.1 m),
another member of the rorqual family, the minke whale, is included with
the medium-sized whales in this guide. Features by which it may be
distinguished from all other rorquals are discussed in the species
account.

Further, inasmuch as the dorsal fin of the humpback whale is highly
variable in shape, positive identification may require reference to the
sperm whale (p. 57), which, though the sperm whale has been classified
with species without dorsal fin, has a rather distinct dorsal hump,
particularly noticeable when the animal arches the back and tail to
begin a long dive.

[Illustration: Figure 8a.--Swimming, blowing, and diving characteristics
of blue, fin, sei, and Bryde's whales.]

[Illustration: Figure 8b.--Swimming, blowing, and diving characteristics
of humpback, bowhead, right, and sperm whales.]

(40-65 feet [12-20 m] maximum overall length)

Without a Dorsal Fin

There are three species of large whales without a dorsal fin in the
western North Atlantic Ocean. Two of these, the bowhead or Greenland
whale, and its more widely distributed close relative the right whale,
are baleen whales. The third, the sperm whale, is a toothed whale. The
first two have relatively smooth backs without even a trace of a dorsal
fin. The sperm whale has a humplike low, thick, dorsal ridge, which,
from certain views, particularly when the animal is humping up to begin
a dive, may be clearly visible and look like a fin. But because the
profile of that hump and the knuckles which follow it are often not very
prominent in this species, it has been classified with the finless big
whales.

All three species are characterized by very distinctive blows or spouts.
In both the bowhead and the right whales, the projection of the blow
upward from two widely separated blowholes assumes a very wide V-shape
with two distinct columns, which may be seen when the animals are viewed
from front or back. Though this character may be visible under ideal
conditions in many of the other baleen whales species as well, it is
exaggerated and uniformly distinct in the bowhead and right whales and
may be used as one of the primary key characters. In the sperm whale,
the blow emanates from a blowhole which is displaced to the left of the
head near the front and projects obliquely forward to the animal's left.
This blow seen under ideal conditions positively labels a large whale as
a sperm whale.

Remember, however, that wind conditions may affect the disposition and
duration of the blow of any species and that a single character alone is
seldom sufficient to permit positive identification.

[Sidenote: BOWHEAD WHALE

_Balaena mysticetus_

p. 49]

Body to 65 feet (19.8 m) long.[8]
Body dark; back smooth.
Chin and belly often white.
Head lacks callosities.
Baleen dark gray with gray fringes; to 12 feet (3.7 m) or more.
Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched.
Two blowholes clearly separated.
Blow projects upward in wide V-shape.
Distribution restricted to Arctic waters south to Davis Straits.
Flukes raised on longer dives.

[Footnote 8: These figures are near maximum sizes recorded for the North
Atlantic. All three species have been heavily exploited by whale
fisheries. Therefore maximum sizes today may be significantly less than
these figures (see text).

It should also be noted that differences in methods of measurements
often account for discrepancies in reported lengths.]

[Sidenote: RIGHT WHALE

_Eubalaena glacialis_

p. 52]

Body to 53 feet (16.2 m) long.
Body from dark to light gray and mottled; back smooth; chin and
belly usually white.
Head and lower jaw covered with callosities (the largest of which
is called the bonnet and is set on top of the snout).
Baleen usually dark gray with dark fringes; to 7.2 feet (2.2 m).
When animals swim, mouth agape, near surface; baleen sometimes
appears pale brownish to yellowish gray in color.
Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched.
Two blowholes clearly separated.
Blow projects upward in wide V-shape.
Distribution extends from Iceland south at least to Florida and
reported from Texas.
Flukes raised on longer dives.

[Sidenote: SPERM WHALE

_Physeter catodon_

p. 57]

Body to 69 feet (20.9 m) long; males grow significantly larger
than females.
Body dark grayish brown to brown; wrinkled in appearance.
Back has rounded hump followed by knuckles.
Head boxlike, comprises up to 40% of body length.
From 18 to 25 functional teeth in each side of narrow lower jaw.
Single blowhole on left of head at front.
Blow projects forward obliquely from head and to left.
Distribution extends from tropics to Arctic; adult males
distributed farther north.
Flukes raised on longer dives.

MEDIUM-SIZED WHALES

(13-32 feet [4-10 m] maximum overall length)

With a Dorsal Fin

There are 11 species of medium-sized whales with a dorsal fin known from
the western North Atlantic. These species, taking many diverse forms,
range in maximum adult size from about 13 feet (4.0 m) (grampus) to
about 33 feet (10.1 m) (the minke whale). This group includes such
widely distributed and frequently encountered species as the pilot
whales, false killer whales, and minke whales, and such rarely
encountered and poorly known species as the various "beaked whales"
(_Mesoplodon_ spp. and the goosebeaked whale).

Aside from their common inclusion within the stated size range and the
presence of a dorsal fin in all species (which ranges from only a small
nubbin in some of the beaked whales to a substantial 5- to 6-foot [1.5-
to 1.8-m] sail on adult male killer whales), these species have no
diagnostic field characteristics in common. Therefore, each is discussed
in detail and is placed in the text in near proximity to those species
with which it is likely to be confused in the field.

[Sidenote: MINKE WHALE

_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_

p. 63]

Body to 30 feet (9.1 m), or more, long.
Body black or dark gray; area of gray shading on each side just
in front of and below dorsal fin.
Flippers have transverse white band.
Head very sharply V-shaped viewed from above.
Dorsal fin falcate and distinct; usually appears simultaneous
with blow.
Blow often low and indistinct.
Distribution polar, temperate, and tropical; frequently coastal.
Often curious about boats.
Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: NORTHERN BOTTLENOSED WHALE

_Hyperoodon ampullatus_

p. 67]

Body to 32 feet (9.8 m) long.
Body of young uniformly chocolate brown; body of adults brown
with cream or yellow blotches.
Head bulbous in adults and white in larger animals; has distinct
beak.
Dorsal fin falcate and distinct, in last one-third of back.
Distribution north temperate and Arctic-offshore.
Often curious about boats.
Flukes large, rarely notched; occasionally raised on long dive.

[Sidenote: GOOSEBEAKED WHALE

_Ziphius cavirostris_

p. 70]

Body to at least 23 feet (7 m) long.
Body from dark gray or brown to rust or fawn and splotched with
white; eyes dark.
Head of large males white.
Back frequently scarred with numerous scratches, presumably tooth
marks.
Dorsal fin falcate and distinct, in last one-third of back.
Distribution primarily tropical; extends to temperate.
Flukes light beneath, sometimes shallowly notched; often raised
on dive.

[Sidenote: ALL OTHER WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC BEAKED WHALES

_Mesoplodon_ spp.

p. 74]

Body to 16-22 feet (4.9-6.7 m) long.
Body color black to dark gray.
Back frequently scarred.
Dorsal fin position varies with species.
Distribution varies with species.
Flukes not usually distinctly notched.

[Sidenote: KILLER WHALE

_Orcinus orca_

p. 84]

Body to at least 30 feet (9.1 m) long.
Body black with sharply demarcated white belly and oval white
patch above and behind eye; gray saddle behind dorsal fin.
Body chunky.
Dorsal fin in males can be very tall, sometimes 6 feet (1.8 m).
Dorsal fin in females and immature animals up to 3 feet (0.9 m),
distinctly falcate.
Distributed from tropics to Arctic; most common in colder waters.
Often seen in shallow bays and rivers and near shore.
Flukes may be raised on dive.

[Sidenote: FALSE KILLER WHALE

_Pseudorca crassidens_

p. 88]

Body to at least 18 feet (5.5 m) long.
Body black (faint gray blaze on belly between flippers).
Body slender.
Head small, tapering.
Large prominent teeth frequently visible at sea.
Flippers have distinct hump on leading edge.
Dorsal fin to 14 inches (35.6 cm), falcate, and from rounded to
pointed on tip.
Distribution pelagic tropical to warm temperate seas.
Frequently ride bow waves.

[Sidenote: ATLANTIC PILOT WHALE

_Globicephala melaena_

p. 91]

Body to at least 22 feet (6.7 m) long.
Body black with light gray, anchor-shaped area on chest; gray
saddle sometimes seen behind dorsal fin.
Head becoming more bulbous with age, somewhat squarish in adult
males viewed from above.
Tail humped.
Flippers long (to one-fifth of body length), sickle-shaped.
Dorsal fin broad-based, falcate to flaglike, in front half of
back.
Distribution primarily north temperate--about Hatteras north.
Flukes not usually raised on dive.

[Sidenote: SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE

_Globicephala macrorhynchus_

p. 94]

Body to at least 17.5 feet (5.3 m) long.
Body black with indistinct light gray area on chest; saddle
behind dorsal fin.
Head becoming more bulbous with age; square in large adult males
viewed from above.
Flippers relatively short (to less than one-sixth of body
length).
Dorsal fin broad-based, falcate to flaglike, in front half of
back.
Distribution tropical and warm temperate; from about Hatteras
south.
Flukes not usually raised on dive.

[Sidenote: GRAMPUS

_Grampus griseus_

p. 96]

Body to at least 13 feet (4.0 m) long.
Body of newborn light gray; darkens with age.
Body of adults light gray or white; scarred with numerous
scratches.
Head blunted, not beaked.
Forehead has vertical crease in center.
Dorsal fin less than 15 inches (38.1 cm), rather erect and
distinct, and dark even in light adults.
Distribution tropical to temperate.
Rarely ride bow wave.

(13-16 feet [4-5 m] maximum overall length)

Without a Dorsal Fin

The only two species of medium-sized cetaceans in the western North
Atlantic which have no dorsal fin, the Beluga or white whale and the
Narwhal, share such limited common range, well outside the theater of
normal boating traffic, that they are generally infrequently
encountered.

Both species are easily identifiable when seen.

[Sidenote: BELUGA

_Delphinapterus leucas_

p. 99]

Body to 16 feet (4.9 m) long.
Body of adults all white; young slate gray.
Small row of bumps along back ridge near midpoint, sometimes dark
brown.
Distribution usually near coast from Arctic waters to St.
Lawrence Gulf and into Hudson Bay.

[Sidenote: NARWHAL

_Monodon monoceros_

p. 102]

Body to 16 feet (4.9 m) long.
Body of adult brownish with grayish spots; body of young dark
bluish gray fading to white belly.
Head small; adults may have tusks up to 9 feet long (2.7 m).
Small row of bumps along back ridge.
Distribution usually in coastal waters from Arctic waters south
to Labrador coast.

SMALL WHALES, DOLPHINS, AND PORPOISES

(less than 13 feet [4 m] maximum overall length)

With a Dorsal Fin

The species in this group are not discussed in order of length; instead
the species of the genus _Stenella_ are treated together and then they
and other species are placed in near proximity to those animals with
which they are likely to be confused in the field.

[Sidenote: ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN

_Stenella plagiodon_

p. 104]

Body to 7.5-8 feet (2.3-2.4 m) long.
Body dark purplish gray on back, lighter gray on sides and belly;
becomes increasingly spotted with increase in size.
Body has spinal blaze and light line from flipper to eye.
Beak white on tip.
Rides bow waves.
Distribution usually in tropical and warm temperate waters; most
common inside 100-fathom curve of continents.

[Sidenote: BRIDLED DOLPHIN

_Stenella frontalis_

p. 108]

Body to at least 7 feet (2.1 m) long.
Body dark gray on back; lighter gray on sides and belly.
Body has no spinal blaze.
Cape on top of head distinct.
Bridle: dark lines from eye to rostrum and from flippers to
corner of mouth.
Rides bow waves.
Distribution in tropical waters, primarily in West Indies.

[Sidenote: SPINNER DOLPHIN

_Stenella longirostris_

p. 110]

Body to at least 7 feet (2.1 m) long.
Body dark gray on back; tan on sides; white on belly.
Beak often long and slender, usually black above, white below.
Tip of snout and lips distinctly black.
Dorsal fin moderately falcate to triangular and very erect.
Rides bow waves.
Often jumps and spins on longitudinal axis.
Distribution in oceanic and coastal tropical waters.

[Sidenote: STRIPED DOLPHIN

_Stenella coeruleoalba_ = _Stenella styx_

p. 113]

Body to about 9 feet (2.7 m) long.
Body dark gray or bluish gray on back; gray on sides; gray or
white on belly.
Distinctive black stripes from: 1) eye to anus, 2) eye to
flipper.
Distinctive black blaze from behind dorsal fin to side above
flipper.
Rides bow waves.
Distribution temperate, subtropical, and tropical; seldom close
to shore.

[Sidenote: SADDLEBACK DOLPHIN

_Delphinus delphis_

p. 116]

Body to 8.5 feet (2.6 m); usually less than 7.5 feet (2.3 m)
long.
Body brownish gray to black; belly and chest white; crisscross
(hourglass) pattern of yellow tan on sides.
Distinct black stripe from center of lower jaw to flipper.
Rides bow waves.
Distribution temperate and tropical; seldom close to shore.

[Sidenote: FRASER'S DOLPHIN

_Lagenoldelphis hosei_

p. 120]

Body to at least 8 feet (2.4 m) long.
Body very robust in front of dorsal fin, resembling cross between
saddleback dolphin and Atlantic white-sided dolphin.
Beak very short and indistinct.
Distinct black stripe from beak to area of anus.
Dorsal fin and flippers small.
Distribution tropical (not yet recorded in western North
Atlantic).

[Sidenote: ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN

_Lagenorhynchus acutus_

p. 123]

Body to about 9 feet (2.7 m) long.
Dorsal fin part gray, part black; tall and distinctly falcate.
Distinctive patch of white on side; tan or yellow coloration
below and behind dorsal fin, often visible on swimming animal.
Beak short; all dark.
Does not usually ride bow waves.
Distribution Cape Cod to southern Greenland.

[Sidenote: WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN

_Lagenorhynchus albirostris_

p. 126]

Body to about 10 feet (3.1 m) long.
Dorsal fin all black, tall, and distinctly falcate.
Two pale areas: one in front, another behind and below dorsal
fin; visible on swimming animal.
Beak short, sometimes brushed with white blaze.
May ride bow waves.
Distribution Newfoundland north in summer, Cape Cod north in
winter; common close to shore at Cape Cod in spring.

[Sidenote: ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSED DOLPHIN

_Tursiops truncatus_

p. 128]

Body to 12 feet (3.7 m) long.
Body dark gray on back; lighter gray on sides; belly white to
pink.
Snout robust and short.
Dorsal fin tall; back curved.
Ride bow waves; often turn head downwards or to the sides as they
do so.
Distribution temperate and tropical, usually within 20 miles of
shore (often in bays, lagoons, and larger rivers) but extending
off the continental shelves.

[Sidenote: GUIANA DOLPHIN

_Sotalia guianensis_

p. 132]

Body to approximately 5.6 feet (1.7 m) long.
Body steel blue to dark brown on back; white on belly.
Dorsal fin nearly triangular; curves only slightly backward.
Distribution in Lake Maracaibo and the rivers of Guiana and in
the nearshore coastal waters of northeastern portion of South
America.

[Sidenote: ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN

_Steno bredanensis_

p. 135]

Body to about 8 feet (2.4 m) long.
Body dark gray to purplish gray on back with white or pink
blotches on sides; belly white.
Body frequently shows numerous white scars.
Head tapers gradually; beak long and slender; no clear separation
of beak from forehead.
May ride bow waves.
Distribution in deep tropical waters.

[Sidenote: PYGMY KILLER WHALE

_Feresa attenuata_

p. 138]

Body to 8-9 feet (2.4-2.7 m) long.
Body black with white belly patch which may extend up sides in
area of anus.
Head rounded; no beak; lips white; lower jaw and chin may be
white.
Dorsal fin to 15 inches (38 cm) tall, falcate; located near
midpoint of back.
Distribution tropical and subtropical.

[Sidenote: MANY-TOOTHED BLACKFISH

_Peponocephala electra_

p. 142]

Body to about 9 feet (2.7 m) long.
Body black on back; light gray on belly.
Head rounded; no beak; underslung jaw; lips white.
Dorsal fin to 10 inches (25.4 cm), tall, distinctly back curved.
Distribution tropical (not yet reported in western North
Atlantic).

[Sidenote: PYGMY SPERM WHALE

_Kogia breviceps_

p. 144]

Body to about 11 feet (3.4 m) long.
Body dark steel gray on back; lighter gray on sides; pinkish to
white on belly (older animals speckled on belly).
Head blunt; jaw underslung; false gills or bracket marks on side
of head.
Dorsal fin small; located in last one-third of body.
Has not been reported to ride bow waves.
Distribution in tropical and temperate waters.

[Sidenote: DWARF SPERM WHALE

_Kogia simus_

p. 148]

Body to about 9 feet (2.7 m) long.
Body dark steel gray on back; lighter gray on sides; pinkish to
white on belly.
Head blunt; jaw underslung; false gills or bracket marks on side
of head.
Body has two small creases on throat.
Dorsal fin like that of Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin; located
near midpoint of back.
Has not been reported to ride bow waves.
Distribution poorly known; at least from Georgia to the tropical
seas.

[Sidenote: HARBOR PORPOISE

_Phocoena phocoena_

p. 150]

Body to 5 feet (1.5 m) long.
Body dark brown above and white below; transition zone on sides
often speckled or streaked; ventral white extends high onto
side in front of dorsal fin.
Head rounded; beak small and indistinct.
Dorsal fin short and triangular.
Distribution in shallow waters from at least Delaware north;
generally found inshore; often in bays, river mouths and
inlets.
Does not approach boats.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Large Whales With a Dorsal Fin

BLUE WHALE (B)[9]

_Balaenoptera musculus_ (Linnaeus 1758)

[Footnote 9: The letter in parentheses indicates whether the species is
a baleen (B) or a toothed (T) whale.]

Other Common Names

Sulphur-bottom.

Description

Blue whales are the largest living mammals. Though reports of maximum
length and weight vary from one account to another, Antarctic blue
whales are known to have reached lengths to 100 feet (30.5 m) and
weights of over 150 tons (136,363 kg)[10] before stocks were severely
depleted by whaling operations. North Atlantic blue whales may be
expected to reach lengths of 80-85 feet (24.4-25.9 m). In all known
populations of blue whales, females are slightly larger than males of
the same age.

[Footnote 10: The largest measured specimen was "just over" 100 feet
(30.5 m); the largest specimen weighed, the 150-ton individual noted
above, was 89 feet (27.1 m) long.]

Viewed from above, the blue whale's rostrum is broad, flat, and nearly
U-shaped (actually shaped like a Gothic arch, slightly flattened on the
tip), with a single ridge extending from the raised area just in front
of the blowholes towards but not quite reaching the tip of the snout.

The dorsal fin is extremely small [to only 13 inches (33 cm)] and
variable in shape from nearly triangular to moderately falcate. In all
cases, it is located so far back on the animal's tail stock that it is
seldom visible until the animal is about to begin a dive.

Blue whales are light bluish gray overall, mottled with gray or grayish
white. Some animals may have yellowish or mustard coloration, primarily
on the belly, the result of the accumulation of diatoms during long
stays in the cooler waters to the north. The undersides of the flippers
are light grayish blue to white.

The baleen plates are all black.

Natural History Notes

The blow or "spout" is tall, to perhaps 30 feet (9.1 m), slender,
vertical, and not bushy, as is the blow of humpback whales, for
instance.

Although the blowing and diving patterns of blue whales may vary,
depending on the speed of movement and the activity of the whale when it
is encountered, they may be generally described as follows: If the
animal is moving slowly, the blowhole and part of the head may still be
visible when the dorsal fin breaks the surface, and the animal may
settle quietly into the water without exposing the last portion of the
tail stock or the tail flukes. If the animal is moving more quickly,
however, or is about to begin a long dive, the blowhole disappears below
the surface, a broad expanse of the back is exposed and disappears, and
the dorsal fin emerges briefly just before the animal lifts its tail
stock and flukes slightly above the surface before slipping out of
sight.

In this species it can be generally stated that the maximum height of
back in the area of the dorsal fin which is exposed above the surface as
the animal sounds is approximately four times the height of the dorsal
fin itself. The exposure of the tail flukes is unlike that of the
humpback whale (Fig. 39), the right whale (Fig. 50), or the sperm whale
(Fig. 57) in that when beginning a long dive all these other species
raise the flukes high out of the water and usually descend at a steep
angle. Blue whales lift the flukes only slightly, if at all.

Blue whales are relatively shallow feeders, feeding as they do almost
exclusively on "krill" (small shrimplike crustaceans), most of which are
distributed in the surface 330 feet (100 m). Blue whales usually occur
singly or in pairs.

May Be Confused With

At sea, blue whales may be confused with fin whales (p. 26) and though
the two are sometimes difficult to distinguish from a distance, the
following key differences permit identification at close range:

BLUE WHALE FIN WHALE

COLORATION

Mottled bluish gray above Gray above, white below; frequently
and below. grayish-white chevron
behind head, right lower
lip white.

BALEEN

All black. Bluish gray with yellowish-white
strips; front fifth to
third of baleen on right side
all white.

HEAD

Broad and nearly U-shaped; Narrower, more V-shaped;
all dark. right lower lip white.

DORSAL FIN

To 13 inches (33 cm); triangular To 24 inches (61 cm); falcate;
to moderately falcate; in located slightly more than a
last third of back; visible well third forward from tail
after blow. flukes; usually visible shortly
after blow.

SURFACING AND PREPARING TO DIVE

Often shows head and blowholes; Usually rolls higher out of
broad expanse of back water, particularly on long
and much later, dorsal fin. dive; dorsal fin visible shortly
after blow.

DIVING

Dives for 10-20 min; surfaces Dives 5-15 min (most often
and blows 8-15 times, making 6-7); surfaces steeply for 3-7
a series of 12- to 15-s dives blows then dives rather
between blows, then disappears steeply again; does not show
again; sometimes raises flukes on dive: on sounding,
flukes slightly on last dive; the maximum height of back
on sounding, the maximum in the area of dorsal fin which
height of back in the area of is exposed is approximately 2
dorsal fin which is exposed is times the height of the dorsal
approximately 4 times the fin.
height of the dorsal fin.

GROUPING

Usually found singly or in Occasionally found singly or
pairs. in pairs, more often found in
pods of six or seven individuals;
many pods, consisting of
as many as 50 animals, may
be found in small area.

See also comparison of fin whale and sei whale (p. 26).

Distribution

Though blue whales have been reported from the pack ice to Cristobal
Harbor, Panama Canal Zone, their normal range in the western North
Atlantic is more limited. In spring and summer months (about April
through at least August) they can be expected in the northern portion of
their range, at least as far north as the Arctic Circle, feeding on the
krill abundant in those waters. A small portion of the population may
venture north, beyond the Circle. In fall and winter the population
moves south, presumably into temperate and perhaps to tropical waters.
Reliable records include animals from observations off Long Island and
Ocean City, Md.

Though southern limits of the species are poorly known, there are no
records from Florida or the West Indies and no verified records from the
Gulf of Mexico.

Summaries of blue whale distribution based on records when the species
was more numerous indicate that they were found during spring and summer
months in some abundance on the Nova Scotian Banks, the St. Lawrence
Gulf and estuary, the Strait of Belle Isle, Grand Bank, and in the
waters off the coasts of Iceland, southern Greenland, and the Davis
Straits and Baffin Bay. (Some individuals have entered the Hudson Strait
but not apparently Hudson Bay itself.)

Historically, a few animals apparently appeared off the coast of
southeastern Canada as early as February. It was speculated that from
there a portion of the population underwent a migration from the Strait
of Belle Isle north through the Davis Straits to the waters off western
Greenland. Some individuals entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence after the
ice was clear and remained behind until as late as November. In the fall
months, certainly by November, the northern portion of the population
had begun retreating to the south in front of the advancing ice. The
remainder apparently also underwent this migration as well, since blue
whales have historically been nearly absent from Canadian waters during
midwinter.

Many of the migrating individuals were assumed to continue south to
temperate and, less frequently, to tropical water where they calved. It
should be emphasized that though all of the southward and the subsequent
northward migrations were presumed to be along pelagic routes, details
were poorly documented.

Blue whales have been reported in both shallow inshore and deep oceanic
zones.

Despite considerable attention in the popular literature to the plight
of the blue whale populations and frequent statements that they are near
extinction, blue whale stocks in the western North Atlantic appear more
abundant than has been usually reported. While present stocks are far
short of previous population sizes, which may have exceeded 200,000
individuals worldwide, they should be sufficiently large for the
species to continue their increase, barring renewed exploitation.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded blue whales can be readily identified by 1) the large body size
(to 85 feet [25.9 m]); 2) the broad flat head; 3) the all-black baleen
plates (270-395 in number), which are usually barely more than twice as
long as they are wide; and 4) the 55-88 ventral grooves extending to the
navel or beyond (Table 2).

Depending on the state of decay and the position of the stranded
specimen, any of the body characteristics described for living animals
may also be used to positively identify the specimen.

[Illustration: Figure 9.--Closeup views of swimming blue whales off
British Columbia (top) and Baja California (bottom). In both photos note
the broad rounded appearance of the head and the single, prominent
central head ridge. In the animal on the top note also the black baleen
plates, barely visible at the front of the slightly open mouth. In the
animal on the bottom note the pattern of light grayish-white mottling
along the back and the raised areas around the blowholes. These features
clearly mark these animals as blue whales. (_Photos by R. M. Gilmore
(top) and K. C. Balcomb (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 10.--The dorsal fins of blue whales may vary from
distinctly triangular (top) to broadly rounded (middle and inset) to
smoothly falcate in appearance (bottom). Regardless of its shape,
however, the fin is always located well back on the tail and does not
become visible until long after the animal's blow. (_Photos by Japanese
Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura, mid-Pacific (top); S.
Leatherwood, southern California (middle and inset); and F. W. True,
northern North Atlantic, courtesy of U.S. National Museum (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 11.--A blue whale swimming leisurely at the
surface off San Clemente Island, Calif. Note that the blowholes, marked
by the raised areas on the top of the head, are still exposed after the
dorsal fin has become visible. Note also the very small size and the
shape of the dorsal fin and its position well back towards the tail.
(_Photo by S. Leatherwood._)]

[Illustration: Figure 12.--A sequence showing fast-swimming blue whales
off southern California. The animal rises rather steeply to the surface
(a), emits a tall, vertical blow (b, c), shows its broad bluish back,
mottled with grayish white, and its small dorsal fin (d, e), and then
dives out of sight (f). When swimming in this manner, blue whales
sometimes raise their tail flukes slightly above the surface before
beginning their long dives (g). (_Photos by J. F. Fish (a-f) and K. C.
Balcomb (g)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 13.--Two views of blue whales on the ramps of
whaling stations in Japan (top) and at Hermitage Bay, Newfoundland
(bottom). Note the broad rounded appearance of the head, the single
central head ridge, and the dark bluish-gray coloration, interrupted
only by mottlings of grayish white. In the animal on the bottom note the
all-black baleen plates, which are very broad relative to their length.
(_Photos by Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura
(top); and F. W. True, courtesy of U.S. National Museum (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 14.--Dead blue whales, harpooned and afloat off
the stern of a factory ship in the Antarctic (top), and on the deck of a
whaling station in western Canada (bottom). In both, note the numerous
ventral grooves (from 55 to 85 or more) extending to the region of the
navel and sometimes beyond, and the light coloration of the undersides
of the flippers. Even though grooves are often present above the
flippers, and occasionally even on the side of the head, counts of
ventral grooves are usually made between the flippers. (_Photos by
Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura (top); and G.
C. Pike, courtesy of I. MacAskie (bottom)._)]

FIN WHALE (B)

_Balaenoptera physalus_ (Linnaeus 1758)

Other Common Names

Finback whale, finner, razorback, common rorqual.

Description

Fin whales have been reported to reach 79 feet (24 m). Females are
slightly larger than males of the same age.

The back is distinctly ridged towards the tail, prompting the common
name "razorback" whale.

The rostrum is narrower and more V-shaped than that of the blue whale
and has the same sort of single distinctive head ridge. The top of the
head is flat, though slightly less than that of the blue whale.

The dorsal fin is up to 24 inches (61 cm) tall; angled less than 40 deg. on
the forward margin, located slightly more than one-third forward from
the tail, and appears on the surface shortly after the blow.

All individuals are dark gray to brownish black on the back and sides
with none of the mottling present on blue whales and are rarely as
heavily scarred as sei whales. Along the back, just behind the head,
there is a grayish-white chevron, with the apex along the midline of the
back and the arms of the chevron oriented posteriorly, which is
sometimes distinctive and may be visible as the animals surface to
breathe. The undersides, including the undersides of the flukes and
flippers, are white. On the head, the dark coloration is markedly
asymmetrical, reaching farther down on the left than on the right side.
The right lower lip, including the mouth cavity, and the right front
baleen (approximately one-fifth to one-third) are yellowish white.
Occasionally the right upper lip is also white. The remainder of the
plates on the right side and all those on the left side are striped with
alternate bands of yellowish white and bluish gray. The fringes of the
plates are brownish gray to grayish white.

Natural History Notes

Fin whales are one of the most common baleen whale species in the world
and constitute a major portion of the whaling catch. They are reportedly
one of the fastest of the big whales (sei whales may be slightly faster)
possibly reaching burst speeds in excess of 20 knots, and were not an
important commercial species until the comparatively recent development
of fast catcher boats and the depletion of blue whale stocks.

A fin whale's blow can be from 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) tall and has
been described as an inverted cone or an elongated ellipse.

Fin whales dive to at least 755 feet (230.1 m). This depth is probably
deeper than that of either blue or sei whales, a factor usually
reflected in differences among the surfacing, blowing, and diving
characteristics of these three species. When they are moving leisurely
at the surface, fin whales expose the dorsal fin shortly after the
appearance of the blowholes, slightly later than that of the sei whales.
When they are surfacing from a deeper dive, however, they surface at a
steeper angle, blow, submerge the blowholes, and then arch the back and
dorsal fin high into the air before beginning another long dive. In this
species it can be generally stated that the maximum amount of the back
in the area of the dorsal fin which is exposed above the surface as the
animal sounds is approximately 2 times the height of the dorsal fin. Fin
whales do not show their tail flukes when beginning a dive.

Unlike blue or sei whales, fin whales do breach on occasion. When they
do leap clear of the water, fin whales usually reenter with a resounding
splash, like that made by humpback and right whales and not smoothly,
head first, as minke whales often do.

Fin whales are sometimes found singly or in pairs but more often occur
in pods of six or seven individuals and many pods consisting of as many
as 50 animals may be concentrated in a small area.

Fin whales calve and breed in winter, mostly in temperate waters.

Atlantic fin whales eat a wide variety of foods, including krill,
capelin, squid, herring, and lanternfish.

May Be Confused With

Fin whales may be confused with blue whales, sei whales, and, in the
southernmost portion of their range, with Bryde's whales. They may be
distinguished from the blue whales by differences in overall coloration,
coloration and shape of the head, and the size, position, and time of
appearance of the dorsal fin at the surface (see p. 19). After close
examination they may be distinguished from Bryde's whales by the
presence of three ridges along the head (of the Bryde's whale) and by
the smaller, more sharply pointed falcate dorsal fin of the Bryde's
whale (see Fig. 31). They may be distinguished from sei whales in the
following similar ways:

FIN WHALE SEI WHALE

DORSAL FIN

Slightly falcate, forms angle Sharply pointed and falcate:
of less than 40 deg. with back forms angle of greater than
slightly more than one-third 40 deg. with back well more than
forward from tail. one-third forward from tail.

SURFACING BEHAVIOR

Usually rise obliquely so top Primarily skimmer feeders;
of head breaks surface first; usually rise to surface at
after blowing, animal arches shallow angle so that dorsal
its back and rolls forward fin and head are visible
exposing the dorsal fin on the almost simultaneously; when
long dive; on sounding, the starting the long dive does
maximum amount of back in not usually arch the back as
the area of the dorsal fin much as the fin whale; on
which is exposed is approximately sounding, the maximum
2 times the height of amount of back in the area of
dorsal fin. the dorsal fin which is
exposed is approximately 1
times the height of the dorsal
fin.

BLOW

Tall (to 20 feet [6.1 m]); Similar shape but smaller--rarely
inverted cone (point down) taller than 10-15 feet
or elongated ellipse. (3.1-4.6 m).

DIVING

Dive for 5-15 (usually 6-7) Dive for 3-10 min; usually
min; blow 3-7 times or more blow at even intervals over
at intervals of up to several long periods of time; often
minutes, then dive again. visible just below the surface,
even on longer dives.

COLOR OF UNDERSIDES

White higher up on right Mostly gray; irregular whitish
than on left side. area on belly.

COLOR OF LOWER LIP

White on right, gray on left. Gray.

BALEEN PLATES

Right one-fifth to one-third Ash black with a blue tinge
in front white; all others and fine grayish bristles.
alternate bands of yellowish
white and bluish gray; bristles
grayish white.

Distribution

Fin whales are probably the most numerous and widely distributed large
whale species in the western North Atlantic.

Fin whales summer from below the latitude of Cape Cod, Mass., north to
the Arctic Circle. (They are frequently seen between New York and
Bermuda this time of year.) Within this zone they may sometimes be seen
very close to shore and appear to be concentrated between shore and the
1,000-fathom curve from at least lat. 41 deg.20' to 57 deg.00' N. In recent
years they have been reported in relatively large numbers in the Gulf of
Maine from March through June, off Newfoundland as early as June but
increasing to August, and entering Davis Straits and beyond in
substantial numbers in midsummer to late summer. There is some evidence
that the animals venturing farthest north are the largest individuals of
the species. Movements of the population(s) southward have usually begun
by October, though some fin whales sometimes remain in the northern seas
sufficiently long to become trapped in the ice and killed.

During winter the range of fin whales spreads out from the advancing ice
southward, reaching at least to the coast of Florida, into the Gulf of
Mexico, and to the Greater Antilles, though fin whales are not at all
common in tropical waters. During the winter many fin whales move into
offshore waters. Northward migrations probably begin in midspring.

Fin whales may be found in Cape Cod waters all year long.

There may be two or possibly three separate stocks of fin whales in the
western North Atlantic, one more northern cold-adapted stock and another
more southern stock. The ranges of the two stocks appear to overlap,
such that the winter range of the northern stock probably becomes the
spring and summer range of the more southern stock. The third stock may
consist of an isolated population in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded fin whales may be most readily identified by 1) the
yellowish-white coloration of the right front baleen and the right white
lower lip; 2) the numerous baleen plates (262-473 in number); 3) the
numerous ventral grooves (56-100 in number) extending to the navel and
beyond (Table 2); and 4) the broad, flat sharply pointed head with only
a single head ridge.

[Illustration: Figure 15.--The heads of fin whales surfacing to breathe
off Japan and in the northern North Atlantic (inset). When they can be
approached from the right side, fin whales can be positively
distinguished from the other large balaenopterine species by the white
coloration of the right lower lip and the flat, narrow head. Note also
the single central head ridge. (_Photos by Japanese Whales Research
Institute, courtesy of H. Omura, and K. C. Balcomb_ (_inset_).)]

[Illustration: Figure 16.--A small group of fin whales off British
Columbia. Fin whales may be found in groups of up to six or seven
individuals and these groups may congregate in feeding grounds. (_Photo
by G. C. Pike, courtesy of I. MacAskie._)]

[Illustration: Figure 17.--The back of a harpooned fin whale in the
eastern North Pacific (left) and in the North Atlantic (right). In both
note the light grayish-white chevrons just behind the head. These
chevrons are not usually very distinctive in North Atlantic fin whales.
In the animal in the left photo note also the prominent ridge along the
back behind the dorsal fin--a characteristic which prompted the common
name "razorback." (_Photos courtesy of_ Los Angeles Examiner (_left_)
_and K. C. Balcomb_ (_right_).)]

[Illustration: Figure 18.--Surfacing fin whales show the head and blow,
then the wheellike silhouette of the back, and then the dorsal fin. Note
that in this species the dorsal fin is smaller and located farther back
than that of the sei whale and appears on the surface later after the
animal's blow. (_Photo from the northern North Atlantic by K. C.
Balcomb._)]

[Illustration: Figure 19.--As they begin a long dive, fin whales
frequently arch the tail stock high into the air, exposing the dorsal
fin. Even on a long dive, however, this species is not known to throw
its tail flukes high into the air or even to raise them slightly, as
blue whales sometimes do when beginning a long dive. (_Photo from off
Virginia by J. G. Mead._)]

[Illustration: Figure 20.--Probably a fin whale (perhaps a Bryde's
whale) breaching in the eastern tropical Pacific. This type of behavior
has been described for humpback, minke, and fin whales but is far more
common for the first two species. Breaching fin whales often reenter the
water with a resounding splash, much like humpback whales, but sometimes
smoothly, head first, as minkes sometimes do. (_Photo by K. D. Sexton,
courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service._)]

[Illustration: Figure 21.--A head-on view of a fin whale stranded at
Ormond Beach, Fla. Note the flat narrow appearance of the head and the
single, central head ridge. (_Photo by F. Essapian, courtesy of
Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 22.--In this partly flensed fin whale, at
Blanford, Nova Scotia, note the white lower lip and the white baleen in
the right front. The inset photo shows the right upper jaw of a fin
whale with the baleen intact. (_Photos by H. E. Winn, and from the North
Pacific by Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura
(inset)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 23.--A fin whale on the ramp of the whaling
station also at Blanford, Nova Scotia. Note the ventral grooves, 56 to
100 and extending at least to the navel. (_Photo by L. Rigley._)]

SEI WHALE (B)

_Balaenoptera borealis_ Lesson 1828

Other Common Names

Pollack whale, sardine whale, Rudolphi's rorqual.

Description

Sei (pronounced "say") whales have been reported to reach 62 feet (19
m).

The snout is less acutely pointed than that of the fin whale but when
viewed from the side appears slightly arched. In general, the head is
intermediate in shape between that of the blue whale and that of the fin
whale. The dorsal fin, which is from 10 to 24 inches (25.4 to 61 cm)
tall and strongly falcate in adult animals, is located about two-thirds
of the way back on the back, farther forward than that of the blue or
fin whales. Sei whales are dark steel gray on the back and sides, and on
the posterior portion of the ventral surface. The body often has a
galvanized appearance due to scars possibly resulting from lamprey bites
inflicted during migrations into warmer waters. These scars may be dark
gray to almost white in color. On the belly there is a region of grayish
white that is confined to the area of the ventral grooves. Neither the
flippers nor the tail flukes are white underneath. The right lower lip
and the mouth cavity, unlike those of the fin whale, are uniformly gray.
The baleen plates are uniformly grayish black with fine grayish-white
fringes. (A small number of sei whales have been noted to have a few
half-white plates near the front of the mouth, a feature which might
result in their confusion with fin whales.)

Natural History Notes

The blow of sei whales is an inverted cone rarely taller than 15 feet
(4.6 m).

Sei whales are generally skimmer feeders and do not usually dive very
deeply. For that reason they usually surface at a shallower angle than
fin whales. The head rarely emerges at a steep angle (except when the
whales are chased). Instead, the blowholes and a major portion of the
back, including the dorsal fin, become visible almost simultaneously and
remain visible for relatively long periods of time. In this species it
can be generally stated that the amount of the back in the area of the
dorsal fin which is exposed above the surface as the animal sounds is
approximately the same height as the dorsal fin. When they begin another
dive, sei whales do not arch the tail stock or flukes high. Instead,
they normally submerge by slipping quietly below the surface, often
remaining in view only a few feet down and leaving a series of tracks or
swirls on the surface as they move their tail flukes. When they are
feeding in this manner, sei whales may exhibit a highly regular blowing
and diving pattern over long periods of time.

Sei whales usually travel in groups of from two to five individuals,
though they may concentrate in large numbers on the feeding grounds.

In the northern portion of their range, sei whales feed on copepods.
Throughout the remainder of the range, however, their food is more
varied and also includes krill and a variety of small schooling fishes.
The species derived its common name, in fact, from its frequent
occurrence with or near sei fish.

May Be Confused With

The sei whale's smaller size and decidedly taller, more falcate dorsal
fin located well more than one-third forward from the tail should
prevent confusion with the blue whale. At a distance, however, sei
whales are difficult to distinguish from either fin whales or Bryde's
whales. The primary clues for distinguishing them from fins are the
differences in swimming, blowing, and diving characteristics tabularized
in detail on p. 26 and the asymmetrical coloration of the fin whale.

Sei whales may be distinguished from Bryde's whales only upon close
examination. The dorsal fin of Bryde's whales is small, to 18 inches
(45.7 cm), sharply pointed, and often worn on the rear margin. If close
examination is possible, the sei whale will be seen to have only a
single head ridge. Bryde's whales have two additional ridges--one on
each side of the main ridge. Bryde's whales are primarily fish feeders
and their diving behavior more closely resembles that of a fin whale
than that of a sei whale. (See p. 37).

Distribution

The distribution and migrations of the sei whale during most of the year
are rather poorly known. The species is known to avoid the colder
regions near the pack ice and to range from Iceland south to the
northeast Venezuelan coast and the northeast and southwest Gulf of
Mexico. There are also records from Cuba and the Virgin Islands. Along
the northeast United States and eastern Canadian coasts, where most
research on sei whales has been conducted, the species migrates from New
England through the Blanford, Nova Scotia area in June and July, is
found in small numbers off eastern Newfoundland in August and September
(abundant in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland in August), and continues
northward to the Davis Straits in September and October. An offshore
stock may be found year-round in the Labrador Sea. The summer range (May
to September or October) extends from New England to southern Arctic
waters. Though some individuals remain behind through November, the
southward movement of the bulk of the population presumably begins in
October. In general, sei whales do not venture as far north as fin
whales but may have a greater tendency to enter tropical waters.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded sei whales are most likely to be confused with fin whales or
Bryde's whales. The three head ridges of the Bryde's whale (sei whales
have only one) assist in distinguishing sei whales from Bryde's whales.
They may be distinguished from fin whales and all other rorquals by the
following characteristics: 1) The color of the baleen plates--uniformly
ash black with a blue tinge and fine white bristles (Table 2). 2) The
density of bristles on the plates--sei whales have from 35 to 60 baleen
fringes per centimeter; all other rorquals have far fewer (less than
35). 3) The relative lengths of the ventral grooves--the grooves of sei
whales end well before the navel; those of blue, fin, and Bryde's whales
extend at least to the navel. 4) The relatively small numbers of ventral
grooves (38-56)--both blue and fin whales have more; Bryde's whales have
approximately the same number.

If the animal is not in an advanced state of decomposition, the region
of white coloration of the belly may also be visible.

[Illustration: Figure 24.--The head of a sei whale is intermediate in
shape between that of the blue whale and that of the fin whale. When
viewed from the side it is slightly arched. Note the single central head
ridge, from just in front of the blowholes to near the tip of the snout.
Bryde's whales, with which sei whales are most likely to be confused in
the tropical and subtropical portions of their range, have two auxiliary
ridges, one on each side of the top of the head, in addition to this
main central ridge. (_Photo from the North Pacific by Japanese Whales
Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 25.--Sei whales are dark gray on the right lower
lip. They can be distinguished from fin whales, which have a white right
lower lip, by approaching them from the right side. (_Photo from the
North Pacific by Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H.
Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 26.--Three views of swimming sei whales. In all
three, note the tall, distinctly falcate dorsal fin (which has been
described as sickle or scimitar in shape) positioned farther forward on
the back than the fins of either the fin whale or the blue whale. In the
photo in the middle, note that the dorsal fin has appeared on the
surface while the blowholes are still open. Sei whales, generally
skimmer feeders and rather shallow divers, often show the dorsal fin and
much of the back for relatively long periods as they surface to breathe.
(_Photos from off central California, courtesy of National Marine
Fisheries Service_ (_middle_); _northeast of Hawaii by S. Ohsumi_ (_left
inset_); and _from off Japan by Japanese Whales Research Institute,
courtesy of H. Omura_ (right inset).)]

[Illustration: Figure 27.--A freshly dead sei whale from the Pacific
(top) and a stranded specimen in an advanced stage of decomposition at
Cape Island, S.C. (bottom and inset). Note that even though the
distinctive coloration of the fresh specimen has faded on the rotting
specimen, the numbers and lengths of the ventral grooves (38 to 56 in
number and stopping well short of the navel) still permit the specimen
to be distinguished from fin, blue, and Bryde's whales, in all of which
the grooves extend at least to the navel. (_Photos by Japanese Whales
Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura (top); and J. G. Mead (bottom
and inset)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 28.--Dorsal view of a sei whale on the deck of a
whaling ship in the North Pacific. Note the numerous scars on the body
and the otherwise dark gray coloration of the back. (_Photo by Japanese
Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 29.--The right upper jaw of the sei whale stranded
at Cape Island, S.C. The baleen plates, here partly buried in the sand,
numbering from 318 to 340 per side and uniform dark gray with fine
lighter gray bristles, continue to serve as identifying characteristics
even on a badly decomposed specimen. (_Photo by J. G. Mead._)]

BRYDE'S WHALE (B)

_Balaenoptera edeni_ Anderson 1879

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

Bryde's whales reach a maximum length of approximately 46 feet (14 m).
They closely resemble sei whales in external appearance. At a distance,
the head of this species is similar in profile and general appearance to
that of the sei whale. The most distinctive field characteristic of the
species, however, is the presence of three ridges along the head
anterior to the blowhole. In addition to the medial ridge characteristic
of all the other balaenopterid species, Bryde's whales have two
secondary ridges on the top of the head--one along each side even with
the blowhole running forward towards the tip of the snout. If they can
be examined at close range, Bryde's whales can be positively identified
by this character alone.

The dorsal fin of Bryde's whales is up to 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall,
extremely falcate, pointed on the tip, located well more than one-third
forward from the tail, and is often irregularly notched or frayed on the
rear margin from unknown causes. Bryde's whales are dark gray overall,
though some individuals, like some minke whales, have a small region of
gray on each side just forward of the dorsal fin.

Natural History Notes

Bryde's whales, like minke whales, reportedly often approach close to
vessels as if curious about them. During this time they may be examined
carefully and their identifying characteristics seen.

Though euphausiids may be an important food for this species in limited
areas, Bryde's whales often feed on schooling fish (including pilchards,
anchovies, herring, and mackerel). This food preference is reflected in
the diving behavior of the species. Bryde's whales are not "skimmer"
feeders; they are deeper divers. When they surface to breathe, they
often rise more steeply to the surface, exposing much of the head, roll
the body sharply, and hump up the tail stock before beginning another
dive. In this species, as in the fin whale, it can be generally stated
that the amount of the back which is exposed above the surface as the
animal sounds is approximately twice the height of the dorsal fin. They
apparently do not raise the tail flukes when beginning a dive.

May Be Confused With

At sea Bryde's whales may be confused with sei whales, fin whales, and
perhaps minke whales.

They may be most readily distinguished from sei whales by the
characteristics discussed on p. 32 and by differences in diving
behavior. The shallow-feeding sei whales surface and blow at regular
intervals over long periods of time. Bryde's whales are deeper divers,
less likely to surface, and blow at evenly spaced intervals. If they are
seen only briefly or at a distance, however, the two species may be
impossible to differentiate.

During the winter months, when fin whales may venture into tropical
waters, they may also be confused with Bryde's whales. But fin whales
seldom exhibit curiosity about boats. In addition, the dorsal fin of the
fin whale is larger, is located farther back on the back than that of
Bryde's whale, and does not become visible as soon after the blow. It is
also less likely to be worn on the rear margin than that of a Bryde's
whale.

The head of the fin whale is more acutely pointed. Furthermore, the
right lower lip and the right front baleen of the fin whale are white.
The baleen and the right lower lip of Bryde's whales are dark gray. If
the animals can be approached closely from the right side, positive
identification is possible using these differences in color.

Like Bryde's whales, minke whales often approach close to vessels. But
minke whales have an acutely pointed snout, a single head ridge, and a
white band on each flipper. Further, minke whales rarely reach 30 feet
(9.1 m) in maximum length.

Distribution

The distribution of Bryde's whales is rather poorly known, no doubt in
part, because the species is difficult to positively identify at sea,
and records of its occurrence may have often been confused with those of
sei whales, fin whales, or minke whales. From stranded animals and
confirmed sightings at sea, the species appears to be found primarily
near shore in areas of high productivity in tropical or subtropical
waters, though it ventures into warmer temperate waters as well. It has
been reported from Virginia south into the northeast Gulf of Mexico and
the southeast Caribbean, and southern West Indies (Curacao and Granada).
To date no migration has been described for the species.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded Bryde's whales can be positively identified by the three ridges
along the top of the head from the area of the blowhole to the tip of
the snout. All other species of balaenopterid whales, except humpback
whales have but a single ridge. If the head of a stranded specimen is
buried in sand, is decomposed beyond recognition, or is otherwise
inaccessible for identification, Bryde's whales can still be
distinguished from sei whales by differences in the relative lengths of
the ventral grooves (Table 2) and from both the fin whale and the sei
whale by differences in the characteristics of the baleen plates (Table
2).

[Illustration: Figure 30.--On the head of this Bryde's whale off La
Jolla, Calif. two of the three head ridges characteristic of the
species, the main ridge and the left auxiliary ridge, are clearly
visible. These ridges permit this animal to be positively identified as
a Bryde's whale. (_Photo by F. Morejohn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 31.--Bryde's whales in the Gulf of California and
north of Hawaii (inset). In both, note the tall, sickle-shaped
appearance of the dorsal fin, much like that of the sei whale. In the
animal in the larger photo note the ragged rear margin of the dorsal
fin, a frequently observed characteristic in Bryde's whales. In the
animal on the left note also the region of gray on the sides in front of
the dorsal fin. (_Photos by W. C. Cummings and S. Ohsumi_ (_inset_).)]

[Illustration: Figure 32.--Stranded Bryde's whales at Walnut Point, Va.
(top) and Panacea, Fla., Gulf of Mexico (bottom). In both animals note
the head shape similar to that of the sei whale, and the three distinct
head ridges. In the animal on the bottom, note that the two outermost
ridges have their origin in grooves beside the blowholes. In the animal
on the top, note also the baleen plates, up to at least 300 per side and
dark gray with coarse gray bristles. There is infrequently a rather wide
interval at the front of the mouth between the left and right rows of
baleen. (_Photos by U.S. National Museum, courtesy of J. G. Mead (top)
and M. B. Rank, courtesy of Wide World Photos (bottom)._)]

HUMPBACK WHALE (B)

_Megaptera novaeangliae_ (Borowski 1781)

Other Common Names

Humpbacked whale, bunch, hump whale, or hunchbacked whale.

Description

Humpback whales reach a length of 53 feet (16.2 m).

The body is robust, narrowing rapidly on the tail stock. The head is
quite broad and rounded, somewhat like that of the blue whale. The head
ridge characteristic of other balaenopterid species is indistinct and is
replaced in prominence by a string of fleshy "knobs" or protuberances,
many more of which are randomly distributed on the top of the head and
on the lower jaw. There is a distinctive rounded projection near the tip
of the lower jaw. Humpback whales carry many barnacles and whale lice.
The baleen plates are all black with black or olive-black bristles.

The flippers are very long (nearly a third as long as the body), are
scalloped on at least the leading edge, and are nearly all white.

The dorsal fin, located slightly more than two-thirds of the way back on
the back in approximately the same position as that of the fin whale, is
small and varies in size and shape from a small, triangular nubbin to a
more substantial, sharply falcate fin. The dorsal fin frequently
includes a step or hump, which is quite distinct when the animal arches
its back to begin a dive and from which the species derives its common
name.

Humpback whales are basically black in color with a white region of
varying size on the belly, which upon close examination may often be
seen to be crosshatched with thin dark lines; the flippers and the
undersides of the flukes also are white.

Natural History Notes

The blow of humpback whales is from 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.1 m) tall and
has been described as balloon-shaped. It is wide relative to its height.
Feeding humpback whales habitually blow 4-8 times at intervals of 15-30
s after a long dive. In the tropics they habitually blow 2-4 times in
succession when beginning a long dive. In diving, humpback whales throw
the tail flukes high into the air, exposing the sometimes white
undersurface and the rippled rear margin.

Humpback whales often leap clear of the water, raise a flipper, and slap
it against the water, or "lobtail," raising the tail high into the air
and bringing it crashing back to the water in a loud report. Often,
particularly when they are encountered on their tropical breeding
grounds, humpback whales will be found lying on their sides with a long
flipper in the air.

Humpback whales feed on krill and schooling fish.

May Be Confused With

From a distance humpback whales may be confused with any of the other
large balaenopterid (rorqual) whales--blue, fin, sei, or Bryde's.
Although it is highly variable, the dorsal fin most closely resembles
that of the blue whale. However, it is located farther forward on the
back. Humpback whales distinguish themselves from the remainder of the
rorquals by their habit of raising the flukes high into the air when
starting a long dive. (In very shallow water they may not raise the
flukes at all.) The only other rorqual to do so--the blue whale--raises
the flukes slightly or not at all.

Under some conditions humpback whales may be confused with sperm whales
at a distance. When arching the back to begin a dive, both may show a
distinct hump. Both species frequently raise their flukes nearly
vertically when beginning a long dive but differ in several ways. The
flukes of humpback whales show varying amounts of white beneath, are
pointed on the tips, and are distinctly concaved and irregularly rippled
on the rear margin. Those of sperm whales are all dark and more
flattened and even along the rear margin. Further the species can be
distinguished in the following ways:

HUMPBACK WHALE SPERM WHALE

BLOW

Projects upwards from center Projects obliquely forward
of head. Usually blows from left side of snout.
4-8 times (2-4 times in Usually blows many times
tropics) before diving. (20-50 or more) before diving.

HEAD

Raised area around blowholes, Blunted, long, smooth.
knobs on upper surface.

FLUKES

Often white underneath, Smooth, all black on rear
concaved and scalloped on margin.
rear margin, deeply notched.

FLIPPERS

Extremely long (to one-third Short; all black.
of body), white and scalloped
on leading edge.

DORSAL FIN (OR HUMP)

Triangular to falcate fin, Rounded hump, two-thirds
including a step or hump in back on back followed by
front of the dorsal fin; knuckles or crenulations.
smooth.

When they can be examined at close range, humpback whales can be easily
distinguished from all other large whale species with a dorsal fin by
the tuberosities or knobs on the head, by the long white flippers
scalloped on the leading edge, by the small distinctive dorsal fin, and
by their distinctive tail flukes.

Distribution

In the western North Atlantic, humpback whales are widely distributed
from north of Iceland, Disko Bay and west of Greenland, south to
Venezuela and around the tropical islands of the West Indies. They have
been reported from the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Summer ranges
extend at least from New England north to the pack ice, and feeding
concentrations may be found in any portion of this region. During
winter, humpback whales migrate southward to the shallow borderlands of
Bermuda, to the Bahamas, and to the West Indies to calve and mate.

Stranded Specimens

The most distinctive features of stranded humpback whales are 1) the
ventral grooves, 14-22 in number, very wide and extending to the navel;
2) the tuberosities of the snout and lower jaw, often the sites of
numerous barnacle colonies; 3) the long flippers (to nearly a third of
the total body length); and 4) the distinctive rounded projection near
the tip of the lower jaw.

If these characteristics are not sufficiently clear, the species may be
identifiable by the characteristics of the baleen plates (Table 2).

[Illustration: Figure 33.--Three views of blowing humpback whales. The
blow of this species is usually less than 10 feet (3.1 m) tall, wider
than it is high, and has been described as balloon-shaped. In the photo
on the top, the wind has already begun to distort the blow. In the photo
on the bottom, two separate columns are visible. All baleen whales have
a bipartite blowhole, and if an observer is directly behind or in front
of either the right whale or the humpback whale under ideal wind
conditions, the blows of these two species may appear as two distinct
spouts. (_Photos from West Indies by H. E. Winn (top and middle) and
from off St. Augustine, Fla. by D. K. Caldwell (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 34.--Head views of surfacing humpback whales. Note
the rather broad rounded appearance of the top of the head and the small
head ridge, which extends from just in front of the blowholes to near
the tip of the snout. In humpback whales the single central head ridge
characteristic of most balaenopterid species is replaced in prominence
by a series of knobs, some of which are oriented along the same line as
the head ridge. On the animal in the inset photo note also the
characteristic rounded projection below the tip of the lower jaw,
heavily encrusted with barnacles. (_Photos from off St Augustine, Fla.
by D. K. Caldwell and from West Indies by H. E. Winn (inset)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 35.--A mother humpback whale with her newborn calf
off the northern West Indies. Newborn humpback whales are from 12 to 15
feet (3.7 to 4.6 m) long and are colored like the adults. Note the
mother's long white pectoral flipper, clearly visible below the surface.
(_Photo by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 36.--Humpback whales fall back into the water
after breaching. Note the long flippers, distinctly scalloped on the
leading edge. In the animal on the top, note also the knobs on the head,
visible in profile, the cluster of barnacles located on the rounded
projection below the tip of the lower jaw, and the throat grooves.
(_Photos off Baja California by K. C. Balcomb (top) and off Bermuda by
C. Levenson (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 37.--Often, particularly on their tropical
breeding grounds, humpback whales lie on their sides at the surface, the
long white pectoral flipper in the air. Note the pronounced scalloping
on the leading edge. (_Photos near West Indies by C. McCann (top) and H.
E. Winn (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 38.--A series showing the extreme variability in
dorsal fin shapes of humpback whales: (a) a small ridge, (b) slightly
falcate, (c) triangular with a pronounced hump, (d) slightly rounded,
(e) distinctly rounded, and (f) taller and more distinctly falcate.
(_Photos from northern West Indies by H. E. Winn (a, c, e) and C. McCann
(b); off Baja California by K. C. Balcomb (d); and off St. Augustine,
Fla. by D. K. Caldwell (f)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 39.--The humpback whale is the only large whale
species with a distinct dorsal fin which regularly raises its tail
flukes when beginning a long dive. When it does so, the scalloped
trailing edge is often visible (f, g, h). When the diving whale is seen
from the rear, the varying degree of white coloration on the undersides
of the flukes aids in identification (h). (_Photos from northern North
Atlantic by K. C. Balcomb (a-f), from West Indies by C. McCann (g), and
from off Massachusetts by W. A. Watkins (h)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 40.--Detail of the head of a humpback whale
harpooned off Japan. Note the knobs along the top of the head and on the
lower jaw, the rounded projection near the tip of the lower jaw and the
wide ventral grooves. The large mass of tissue to the left of the animal
is its tongue. In the inset photo from a Canadian whaling station, note
the baleen plates, less than 3 feet (0.9 m) long and dark olive green to
black in color. (_Photos by Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy
of H. Omura; and J. G. Mead (inset)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 41.--A humpback whale on the deck of a whaling
station in western Canada. All of the species' most distinctive
characteristics are evident in this photograph: (1) the hump and the
dorsal fin; (2) the knobs on the top of the snout; and (3) the long
flipper, with numerous barnacles attached to its leading edge. (_Photo
by G. C. Pike, courtesy of I. MacAskie._)]

[Illustration: Figure 42.--North Atlantic humpback whales have from 14
to 20 broad, widely spaced ventral grooves which extend about to the
navel. Those grooves remain good diagnostic characters for considerable
periods after the animal's death, as evidenced in the freshly killed
specimen from Newfoundland (top) and the badly decomposed stranded
animal from New Jersey (bottom). (_Photos from U.S. National Museum,
courtesy of J. G. Mead._)]

Large Whales Without a Dorsal Fin

BOWHEAD WHALE (B)

_Balaena mysticetus_ Linnaeus 1758

Other Common Names

Greenland whale, Arctic right whale, great polar whale.

Description

Bowhead whales, so-called because of the high-arching jaws and the
resultant contour of the head, reach a maximum length of about 65 feet
(19.8 m). They are extremely robust in form.

When viewed from the side, some swimming bowhead whales show two
characteristic curves to the back: the first extends from the tip of the
snout to just behind the blowholes; the second, encompassing the entire
back, begins just behind the head and extends all the way to the tail.
This character may be present only in adult animals and may be more
pronounced in males. Younger animals, particularly females, are often
stubbier and somewhat barrel-shaped behind the head. In all animals the
back is smooth, lacking even a trace of a dorsal fin.

The head of the bowhead whale is smooth, black, and without the bonnet
and the "rock-garden," the colorful clusters of callosities
characteristic of the black right whale. The blowholes are widely
separated, and the blow emanating from them projects upward as two
separate, distinct spouts. Though two separate columns sometimes may be
visible under windless conditions in the blows of most mysticetes, this
feature is exaggerated and is most characteristic in the bowhead and
right whales.

Bowhead whales are black overall, except for a white "vest" of uneven
coloration on the chin. Within that vest, near the sides of the white
zone, there may be a series of grayish black to black spots, which on
some animals have been likened to a string of beads. The vest is clearly
visible when a surfacing animal is viewed from the front or the side or
when the animals hang vertically in the water with the head on the
surface and the tail flukes down, as they do during periods of early
spring mating.

Natural History Notes

Bowhead whales are usually found singly or in groups of up to three
animals, though fall concentrations may include up to 50 animals.

Bowhead whales sometimes breach, throwing most of the body clear of the
surface and reentering with a resounding splash.

May Be Confused With

Bowhead whales are the only species of large whales found routinely in
Arctic waters. Though other species, including some of the balaenopterid
whales and the right whale, may venture north as far as the southern
limits of the bowhead whale and beyond, they usually do so in the spring
and summer, at a time when the bowhead whales are farther to the north.
Even if they are encountered together, bowhead whales can be
distinguished from all the balaenopterid whales by the absence of a
dorsal fin. Bowhead whales have neither a fin nor the slightest trace of
a dorsal fin or ridge, while all the balaenopterids have a dorsal fin;
and their back is extremely smooth, like that of the right whale. The
bowhead and right whales may be readily distinguished from one another
by the characters listed below for stranded specimens.

Distribution

Though bowhead whales in the western North Atlantic were once
distributed from Arctic waters, from the edge of the ice, south as far
as the Strait of Belle Isle and the St. Lawrence River in such abundance
that they were once referred to simply as "the whale," overwhaling
through the 19th century until as recently as 1911 has severely reduced
their numbers and restricted their modern range. Today in addition to
the more abundant populations of the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi seas
and the Sea of Okhotsk, there are populations off eastern Greenland and
in Davis Straits, Baffin Bay, James Bay, and the adjacent waters. Within
these ranges, bowhead whales move southward in front of the advancing
ice floes and may be expected near the southern limits of their range
from September or October through the early spring months. Populations
in the western North Atlantic appear to be increasing slowly.

Stranded Specimens

In addition to the fact that their ranges may overlap only slightly if
at all, bowhead whales may be distinguished from the other right whales
of the western North Atlantic by differences in 1) primary distribution,
2) coloration, 3) lengths of the longest baleen plates, and 4) presence
of callosities.

BOWHEAD WHALE RIGHT WHALE

DISTRIBUTION

Arctic distribution south to Texas, southwest Florida
Davis Straits only during north to Iceland, reaching
winter. northern limits only during
spring and summer.

COLORATION

Black with white "vest" on Sometimes black often
front part of lower jaw, brown or mottled with regions
sometimes containing a of white on chin and
string of black spots; upper belly; patches of yellowish to
jaw lacks the "rock garden." pink callosities and lice
encrusting the snout in what
has been called a "rock
garden."

BALEEN PLATES

325-360 per side; plates to 14 250-390 per side 12
inches (35.6 cm) at base and inches (30.5 cm) at base and
longest plates up to 14 feet up to 7.2 feet (2.2 m) long.
(4.3 m) long. Dark gray or Dirty gray with black fringes;
black with gray fringes; some anterior plates
anterior margin of some partly or completely white.
plates whitish, showing
green iridescence in sunlight.

BONNET AND OTHER CALLOSITIES

Not present. Present.

[Illustration: Figure 43.--Swimming adult bowhead whales, particularly
males, often show two characteristic humps or curves to the back--one on
the head, ending just behind the blowholes, and a larger curve from just
behind the blowholes to near the flukes; the second is accentuated when
the animal humps up to begin a dive. (_Photo by J. Lentfer._)]

[Illustration: Figure 44.--Bowhead whales have no dorsal fin. The back
is smooth and black, though often irregularly spaced white or grayish
scars of unknown origin appear. (_Photos by J. Lentfer._)]

[Illustration: Figure 45.--The unusually shaped head and the broad lower
jaw, colored by a broad white vest, are evident in the swimming bowhead
whale (left) and in both members of the copulating pair (right). Also
evident on the animal to the far left is the "string of black beads"
which is sometimes found in the white region. (_Photos by J. Lentfer._)]

[Illustration: Figure 46.--A harpooned bowhead whale (this one from the
Alaskan population). Note the high arching upper jaw of the species.
Bowhead whales have up to at least 360 plates per side, far more than
the black right whale. The longest plates, located near the middle of
each jaw, are reported to reach 12 feet (3.7 m), or more, in length.
(_Photo by D. R. Patten._)]

RIGHT WHALE (B)

_Eubalaena glacialis_ (Borowski 1781)

Other Common Names

Black right whale, Biscayan right whale, Biscay whale, Nordcaper right
whale.

Description

These right whales reach a length of about 53 feet (16.2 m).

The body is rotund and completely lacking a dorsal fin or a dorsal
ridge. The upper jaw is long, narrow, and highly arched. The lips are
similarly highly arched. The top of the head has a series of bumps or
callosities, the largest one of which is known as the "bonnet," on the
upper surface in front of the blowholes. Yellowish-brown lice and, less
frequently, barnacles grow on the callosities. The color and extent of
the callosities varies from one individual to the next.

The two blowholes are widely separated, resulting in the projection of
the blow upward as two distinct spouts. The body is dark on the back,
sometimes black, more often brown or mottled, usually has a region of
white on the chin and belly, and sometimes has numerous small
grayish-white scars of unknown origin. The baleen plates are up to 7.2
feet (2.2 m) long, very narrow, and variable in color from dark brownish
through dark gray to black in color. When the animals swim, mouth agape
near the surface, the baleen sometimes appears pale yellowish gray in
color.

Natural History Notes

Right whales are usually not wary of boats and may often be approached
very closely.

Like sperm and humpback whales, they usually throw their flukes high
into the air when beginning a long dive.

Right whales feed primarily on copepods.

Historically, this whale was nearly exterminated by hunters, who took
advantage of its slow speed and who knew that its carcass floats, to
harvest these animals for their great yield of whalebone and oil. It was
these characteristics which prompted whalers to dub these animals the
"right" whales to kill (as opposed to the ones that were too fast to
catch and sank when killed).

May Be Confused With

The distinct blow of the right whales and their smooth dark back, devoid
of any traces of a dorsal fin, make it unlikely that the species will be
confused with any other large whales except, perhaps, the bowhead whale.
In the event that the expansion of their ranges again causes these two
species to overlap in distribution, they can be distinguished from one
another by the characteristics discussed on p. 49.

If only the flukes are seen as the animal begins a dive, right and
bowhead whales may be distinguished from the other two species of large
whales exhibiting this behavior, the sperm and the humpback, in this
way: the flukes of right and bowhead whales are broad, pointed on the
tips, greatly concave towards a deep fluke notch, and dark below: those
of the sperm whale are more nearly triangular, while those of the
humpback whale have a jagged irregular or rippled rear margin and are
sometimes variously white below.

Distribution

Like its more northern relative, the bowhead whale, the right whale was
once the object of a widespread and extensive whale fishery, which
reduced the species to critically low numbers.

Though the former range of right whales is not clearly known, the
species is thought to have been abundant from the Davis Straits south at
least to the Carolinas and Bermuda and to have occurred in winter to
Florida and perhaps into the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently, right whales are known from Iceland south to Florida. Animals
move north along the eastern Florida coast between early January and
late March. During this time the species has also been observed in the
Gulf of Mexico off southwestern Florida and Texas. Right whales pass the
coast of New England in fair numbers in spring and continue as far north
as at least Nova Scotia. Right whales are also found off Iceland, though
the migration routes to and from Iceland waters are not known. The
recent apparent increases in numbers at the northern and southern
coastal approaches in New England and Florida, respectively, lend
credibility to the hopeful contention that the species will again
recolonize its historical range.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded right whales can be easily identified by all the characters
discussed on p. 49 and summarized in Table 2.

[Illustration: Figure 47.--The V-shaped blow characteristic of right
whales. Note the two distinct spouts, bushy in appearance. (_Photo off
Cape Cod by W. A. Watkins._)]

[Illustration: Figure 48.--A right whale off the northeastern Florida
coast. Note the robust body, the smooth back, completely lacking a
dorsal fin, and the narrow rostrum, bearing the characteristic yellowish
callosities. Right whales, primarily mothers with calves, show up on the
Florida coast in the early spring on their slow annual migration to the
north. (_Photo by N. Fain, courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 49.--Closeup views of the heads of right whales
off northeastern Florida (top left and right) and off Cape Cod, Mass.
(bottom left) clearly showing the narrow upper jaw, the bonnet, and the
widely separated blowholes. In the photo on the bottom left note the
extremely long baleen plates, characteristic of bowhead and right
whales. (_Photos by N. Fain, courtesy of Marineland of Florida (top left
and right); and W. A. Watkins (bottom left)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 50.--Right whales frequently throw their tail
flukes high into the air and then slip nearly vertically beneath the
surface. Note that the rear margin of the flukes of this species, unlike
that of the humpback whale, is smooth, broad, and concaved distinctly
towards a deep fluke notch. (_Photos from the northern North Atlantic by
K. C. Balcomb (a-g) and off northeastern Florida by N. Fain, courtesy of
Marineland of Florida (h)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 51.--A stranded right whale at Narragensett Bay,
R.I. Note the narrow, highly arched lower jaw; the extremely long,
narrow baleen plates, reaching lengths of 6.5 feet (2.0 m), or more; and
the bonnet (the protuberance near the tip of the upper jaw). (_Photo
from U.S. National Museum, courtesy of J. G. Mead._)]

[Illustration: Figure 52.--A ventral view of a harpooned female right
whale at Newfoundland. Note that this species, like the bowhead, lacks
the series of ventral grooves which characterize all other baleen whales
of the western North Atlantic. Note also the absence of the vest of
white on the chin, a feature which is characteristic of the bowhead
whale. Some right whales, however, do have extensive regions of white on
the ventral surface, including the chin. (_Photo from U.S. National
Museum, courtesy of J. G. Mead._)]

SPERM WHALE (T)

_Physeter catodon_ Linnaeus 1758

Other Common Names

Cachalot, Sea Wap (St. Vincent).

Description

Male sperm whales have been reported to reach a length of 69 feet (20.9
m), though today individuals larger than 50 feet (15.2 m) are rare.
Females are much smaller, rarely exceeding 38 feet (11.6 m).

A sperm whale is among the easiest of whales to identify at sea even
when comparatively little of the animal is visible. It has a huge head,
which comprises from a fourth to a third of the animal's total length.
(The proportion is considerably higher for males than for females.) The
blunted "squarish" snout, which may project up to 5 feet (1.5 m) beyond
the tip of the lower jaw, houses a large reservoir containing a
high-quality oil called spermaceti.

The single blowhole is located well to the left of the midline and far
forward on the head. As a consequence the small bushy blow, usually less
than 8 feet (2.4 m), emerges forward at a sharp angle from the head and
towards the left. Under good wind conditions this feature alone may
permit positive identification of sperm whales even at considerable
distances.

Sperm whales have a distinct dorsal hump, usually rounded in its
appearance about two-thirds of the way back from the tip of the snout.
Immediately behind the hump is a series of knuckles or crenulations
along the midline. This hump and the crenulations are clearly visible
when the animals arch the tail before beginning a dive. There is a
ventral keel, which may also be visible as animals "sound" (dive). The
flukes of sperm whales are broad and triangular in shape, are not
concaved, but are deeply notched on the rear margin.

Sperm whales usually are dark brownish gray in color. The body has a
"corrugated" or "shriveled" appearance. The belly and the front of the
head may be grayish to off-white. The skin around the mouth,
particularly near the corners, is white. The undersides of the flukes
and flippers vary in color through numerous shades of browns and
brownish grays.

Natural History Notes

Sperm whales may dive to depths in excess of 3,270 feet (996.7 m) for
periods of an hour or more. As do most whales upon surfacing from a deep
dive, sperm whales emit a single explosive blow and then, depending on
the length of the dive, may remain on the surface for over 10 min and
blow more than 50 times before beginning the next dive. Shorter periods
on the surface and fewer blows are more common. Females may dive and
remain on the surface for shorter periods of time than males. When
beginning a deep dive, sperm whales throw their broad triangular flukes,
dark on the undersides, high into the air.

Sperm whales may be found singly or in groups of up to 35 or 40
individuals. Older males are usually solitary except during the breeding
season. During the remainder of the year large groups may be bachelor
bulls (sexually inactive males) or nursery schools containing females
and juveniles of both sexes. Sperm whales are seldom found in less than
600 feet (182.9 m) of water.

Sperm whales feed primarily on squid but may occasionally also take
octopuses and a variety of fishes.

May Be Confused With

Because of their distinctive head shape and blow, sperm whales are
unlikely to be confused with any other species when they can be closely
examined. If only the back and tail flukes are seen, however, sperm
whales may somewhat resemble humpback whales. Both species arch the back
when beginning a dive, raising the fin or hump, and both throw the tail
flukes. The most distinctive differences between the two species are
tabularized on p. 40.

At sea the head of a sperm whale may also somewhat resemble that of an
adult male northern bottlenosed whale, but this latter species is
lighter brown in color, has a distinct beak and a prominent dorsal fin,
and is rarely found south of lat. 42 deg.N. In addition, the blowhole of the
northern bottlenosed whale is located well back on the head and not--as
in the sperm whale--on the front.

Distribution

Sperm whales are widely distributed in oceanic areas of the western
North Atlantic. They may be encountered from Venezuela north at least as
far as the Davis Straits, though they apparently avoid the polar ice
fields. Distribution and migrations vary between males and females.
Males range farther to the north, while females and immature males
remain between lat. 30 deg. and 50 deg.N. Both groups shift northward during
spring and summer and return to southern portions of their range in the
fall. Adult males arrive off the New England coast in August. Those
reaching the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts arrive from the deep sea,
perhaps following the slope contours, in August and September. Males are
abundant as far north as southeast Greenland and Iceland in summer. Some
animals remain as late as November, but the majority migrate south to
temperate or tropical waters in the early fall.

Historically the primary grounds in the western North Atlantic were
those in all the following areas: the Grand Banks just southeast of the
southern Grand Banks from lat. 30 deg. to 40 deg.N and long. 35 deg. to 55 deg.W, off
the Carolinas, around the Bahamas, around many of the West Indies, and
in the southwestern Caribbean.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded sperm whales should be easy to identify. The very narrow
underslung jaw contains from 18 to 25 functional teeth, which fit into
sockets in the upper jaw. The huge, distinctly box-shaped head and the
position of the single blowhole to the left front of the head are
unmistakable clues.

[Illustration: Figure 53.--An aerial view of 21 sperm whales, including
two young calves and several large males, off Japan. Even from an
aircraft, the position of the blowhole and the body shape clearly mark
these animals as sperm whales. (_Photos by Suisan Koku Company, courtesy
of T. Kasuya._)]

[Illustration: Figure 54.--A side view of a sperm whale in the West
Indies, showing the distinctive blow. Note that the spout projects
obliquely forward from the blowhole, which is displaced to the left
front of the head. (_Photo by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 55.--Note the distinctive body shape and the
position of the blowhole of these swimming sperm whales, and, in the
animal on the left, the broad tail flukes. (_Photos from the North
Atlantic by S. Green (left) and from the North Pacific by S. Ohsumi
(right)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 56.--A sperm whale mother and calf off Baja
California, showing the distinct dorsal hump and the extremely long
head. In the bottom photo, from the West Indies, note the dorsal hump
and the crenulations of bumps which follow it. Both the hump and the
crenulations may be visible as the animal arches its tail to begin a
deep dive. Note also the wrinkled appearance of the body. (_Photo by K.
C. Balcomb (top) and H. E. Winn (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 57.--Sperm whales often show their broad tail
flukes as they begin long dives, which may last over an hour and take
them to depths of several thousand feet or more. Note the smooth rear
margin and the nearly triangular shape of the flukes. (_Photo from off
Baja California by K. C. Balcomb._)]

[Illustration: Figure 58.--A stranded infant male sperm whale at
Melbourne Beach, Fla. (top) and a male adult sperm whale on the deck of
a whaling ship in the Pacific (bottom). Note the bulging forehead, the
narrow, underslung lower jaw, the white coloration around the mouth,
particularly at the corners, and the wrinkled appearance of the body. In
the bottom photo note also the whitish region on the belly. (_Photos by
P. Winfield (top) and Japanese Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H.
Omura (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 59.--The narrow lower jaw of a sperm whale
contains from 18 to 25 large functional teeth, which fit neatly into
sockets in the upper jaw. Occasionally, the upper jaw also contains some
teeth. (_Photo from the North Pacific by Japanese Whales Research
Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 60.--The throat and lower jaw of a sperm whale on
the deck of an eastern Canadian whaling station, showing the numerous
short throat grooves, which are most clearly evident on adult animals.
(_Photo by J. G. Mead._)]

[Illustration: Figure 61.--Detail of the broad, paddle-shaped flipper of
a sperm whale from the North Pacific. (_Photo from Japanese Whales
Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

Medium-sized Whales With a Dorsal Fin

MINKE WHALE (B)

_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_ Lacepede 1804

Other Common Names

Little piked whale, lesser rorqual, little firmer, sharp-headed finner,
grampus (Newfoundland), gibord (Quebec).

Description

Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale species in the northern
hemisphere, reaching maximum lengths of just over 30 feet (9.1 m). One
of the most distinctive features of this species is an extremely narrow,
pointed, distinctly triangular rostrum with a single head ridge, similar
to but much sharper than that of the fin whale (hence the common name
"sharp-headed finner"). Minke whales have a tall, falcate dorsal fin
located in the latter third of the back, in about the same position as
that of the sei whale, which often becomes visible simultaneously with
the low, usually inconspicuous blow.

Minke whales are black to dark gray on the back and white on the belly
and on the underside of the flippers. Portions of the underside of the
flukes may be steel bluish gray. They have a diagonal band of white on
each flipper, the extent and orientation of which varies individually.

Like the fin whale, minke whales (at least from the Pacific) sometimes
have a chevron on the back behind the head and often have two regions of
lightish-gray coloration on each side--one just above and behind the
flippers; another just in front of and below the dorsal fin. These
patches may be quite conspicuous on some animals, indetectable on
others. These markings may also be present on Atlantic specimens, though
they have not yet been documented. The baleen, which may be visible from
close range when the animal is feeding, is mostly yellowish white with
fine white bristles. The posterior plates (up to half) may be brown to
black.

Natural History Notes

Minke whales are frequently found as single animals, pairs, or trios,
though they may congregate in areas of food concentration in the
northern seas during the spring and summer. They are more likely to be
seen up close than their larger cousins--the blue, fin, and sei
whales--because they often closely approach boats, particularly
stationary boats, as if curious about them.

Minke whales may also approach very close to shore and often enter bays,
inlets, and estuaries.

Like fin whales, they often arch the tail stock high into the air when
beginning a long dive. However, they do not raise the flukes above the
surface when beginning a dive.

Minke whales feed primarily on small shoal fish (herring, cod, pollack,
and capelin).

Minkes sometimes breach, leaping completely clear of the water and
entering smoothly, head first, or with a substantial splash like
humpback whales.

May Be Confused With

When they are seen at relatively close range, minke whales can be
readily distinguished from the other rorquals that have relatively tall,
falcate dorsal fins (fin, sei, and Bryde's whales) by their considerably
smaller size and by their distinctive white band on each flipper.

At a distance, however, positive identification may be difficult. Minke
whales have a small, low, inconspicuous blow. Like sei whales, they
frequently expose the dorsal fin simultaneously with the blow, but minke
whales hump the tail stock much higher when beginning a long dive--more
like fin whales.

From a distance, minke whales might also be mistaken for northern
bottlenosed whales (or any of several other beaked whales with a similar
dorsal fin). They can be distinguished by the differences in head shape,
body color and markings, and behavior, detailed on p. 67.

Distribution

Minke whales are distributed in the polar, temperate, and tropical
waters of the western North Atlantic. They are found from the pack ice
south to at least Anguilla, Lesser Antilles, and the eastern Gulf of
Mexico, though they appear to be most abundant in temperate waters north
of the latitude of New York and are infrequently reported from tropical
waters. At least some of the population migrates to the northern
portions of their range in spring and back south in autumn. They often
approach close to shore and enter river mouths, inlets, and estuaries.

Minke whales arrive along the Canadian coast in May or June. Some
migrate as far north as Hudson Strait, where they remain until the
freeze in October, November, or December. By December the majority of
the population has begun to move to the south, although some animals
remain behind so long as to become entrapped in the ice and die. Spring
and summer concentrations along the Canadian coast correspond to
concentrations of capelin, cod, and herring. Southern concentrations,
also corresponding with concentrations of herring, extend farther
offshore at least to the edges of the Grand Bank. Minke whales also
summer off the south coast of western Greenland, which they probably
reach from waters southwest of Iceland. Minke whales also occur in deep
pelagic waters.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded minke whales can be most readily identified by: 1) their small
size (to just over 30 feet [9.1 m]); 2) the transverse white bands on
the flippers; 3) the yellowish-white baleen plates (up to half the
posteriormost plates may be brown or black), 300-325 per side in number
and having fine white bristles (the plates are up to 4.75 inches [12 cm]
wide at the base and up to 8 inches [20.3 cm] long); and 4) by the 50-70
thin ventral grooves, ending well before the navel, often just even with
the flippers.

[Illustration: Figure 62.--The minke whale, at a maximum length of just
over 30 feet (9.1 m), the smallest baleen whale species of the western
North Atlantic, is distributed in polar, temperate, and tropical waters.
These animals usually have a low, inconspicuous blow and are sometimes
curious enough about boats that they will alter their course to
investigate them. Note the two areas of light gray on the sides of the
body, characteristic of at least Pacific minke whales. (_Photo from off
British Columbia, courtesy of_ Nanaimo Free Press.)]

[Illustration: Figure 63.--Three views of minke whales at sea. In all
note the transverse band of white on the flippers and the sharply
pointed head. Note the gray chevron visible on the back (top), the
absence of a conspicuous blow and the appearance of the prominent dorsal
fin on the surface while the blowholes are still exposed (middle), and
the distinctive regions of light gray on the sides (bottom). (_Photos
from off San Diego, Calif. by G. E. Lingle (top); from the northern West
Indies by H. E. Winn (middle); and from the western Pacific by Japanese
Whales Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 64.--Minke whales are also known as sharp-headed
finners. On this animal from the North Pacific, note the sharply pointed
head and the single central head ridge. (_Photo by Japanese Whales
Research Institute, courtesy of H. Omura._)]

[Illustration: Figure 65.--A minke whale stranded at Santa Barbara,
Calif. Note the dark back, the white-banded flipper, and the 60-70 fine
ventral grooves extending to just behind the flippers. The short, white
baleen plates are visible in the open mouth. (_Photo by S. Anderson._)]

[Illustration: Figure 66.--Minke whales have from 300 to 325 short,
yellowish-white baleen plates (up to half the anteriormost plates may be
brown or black) with fine white bristles on each upper jaw. (_Photo from
Santa Barbara, Calif. by S. Anderson._)]

NORTHERN BOTTLENOSED WHALE (T)

_Hyperoodon ampullatus_ (Forster 1770)

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

Northern bottlenosed whales reach a length of 32 feet (9.8 m) and are
robust in form. They are characterized by a bulbous forehead, which is
more pronounced on larger animals and most distinctive in adult males,
and by the dolphinlike beak displayed in animals of all sizes and ages,
which is sometimes visible as the animals surface steeply to breathe.

The blowhole is located in an indented area behind the bulbous forehead,
and the blow emanating from it projects upward or slightly forward to a
height of up to 6 feet (1.8 m), is bushy and is visible from a
considerable distance under low wind conditions. The dorsal fin, located
two-thirds of the way back on the back, reaches at least 12 inches (30.5
cm) in height and is distinctly falcate. The dorsal fin may be visible
from a distance of several hundred meters.

Northern bottlenosed whales are usually brownish in color, though the
markings change with age. Smaller animals are a uniform chocolate brown.
Larger animals retain the chocolate brown color on the back but are
often lighter on the sides and the belly and often have irregular
patches or blotches of grayish-white coloration on the back and sides.
Extremely large animals, presumably older males, often have a white
head. The flippers and the undersides of the flukes are uniformly brown
in color.

Natural History Notes

Northern bottlenosed whales often form tightly packed groups of up to 10
or more animals. This species holds the anecdotal record for the longest
dives, having been reported by early whalers to remain submerged over 2
h. They are probably deep divers, feeding primarily on squid (though
they may take fishes as well), and they rarely go in water shallower
than 100 fathoms (183 m).

After a long dive, northern bottlenosed whales will sometimes remain on
the surface for 10 min or more, blowing at regular intervals before
making another dive. After the last blow of a series or when the animals
are startled by a boat, they may show the tail flukes as they begin to
dive. The flukes are not notched on the rear margin.

Northern bottlenosed whales have been observed to show curiosity about
boats, coming to them from a considerable distance. They have also been
observed to "lobtail," raising the tail flukes above the water and
slapping them against the surface, and to jump clear of the water.

In the late 19th century, after stocks of bowhead whales were severely
reduced by overwhaling, northern bottlenosed whales became a prime
target of arctic whalers. They were sought because in addition to whale
oil produced from the body blubber, the forehead of the species yielded
quantities of spermaceti like that obtained from sperm whales.

May Be Confused With

Northern bottlenosed whales have a northerly and deep-water
distribution. Within their range, they may be confused at a distance
with minke whales, with sperm whales, or perhaps with North Sea beaked
whales.

Minke whales (p. 63) have a falcate dorsal fin located in approximately
the same position as that of the northern bottlenosed whale. However,
minke whales have a flathead in front of their two blow holes and are
black to dark gray on the back.

Sperm whales (p. 57) have a squarish head that may somewhat resemble
that of an adult male northern bottlenosed whale. However, there are
numerous characteristics which will permit these species to be
distinguished even from a distance:

NORTHERN
BOTTLENOSED WHALE SPERM WHALE

BLOW

Low and bushy; projects Low and bushy, projects
upward from indentation on obliquely forward from left
top of head. side of head; usually less
than 8 feet (2.4 m).

COLORATION

Lighter brown; adults splotched Brownish gray; body appears
with grayish white; wrinkled.
body smooth.

FLUKES

Rarely notched; seldom raised Notched; raised on long dive.
on long dive.

HEAD

Tapering in younger animals; Squarish, long, all black;
bulbous in adults; beakless.
white in older animals; beaked.

A further aid to distinguishing northern bottlenosed and sperm whales at
sea is the fact that the sperm whales that are found in areas where
northern bottlenosed whales are encountered are usually older, larger
males from 40 to 60 feet (12.2 to 18.3 m) long. Northern bottlenosed
whales do not exceed 32 feet (9.8 m).

Northern bottlenosed whales may also be confused with the poorly known
North Sea beaked whale (p. 82). When they can be examined at close
range, however, northern bottlenosed whales should be distinguishable on
the basis of the distinctly bulbous forehead.

Distribution

In the western North Atlantic, northern bottlenosed whales are
restricted to Arctic and north temperate waters, where they most
commonly occur in offshore areas. They have been reported from Davis
Straits and the entrance to Hudson Strait, the Gully southeast of Sable
Island, and as far south as Narragansett Bay, R.I.

In the spring and summer they concentrate near the northern limits of
their range, occasionally visiting deep channels of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence and eastern Newfoundland in summer. During these seasons they
may extend to the edge of the pack ice.

In the fall and winter the bulk of the population migrates southward.
Many probably winter in the Labrador Sea while others move farther
southward and farther offshore.

Stranded Specimens

Like the beaked whales discussed on p. 70 through 83, the northern
bottlenosed whales have no notch in the tail flukes, have two throat
grooves forming a V-shape on the chin, and have only two teeth in the
lower jaw, with those teeth emerged from the gums only in adult males.
These teeth may have sometimes fallen out of older males, but the tooth
sockets should still be visible in the gums.

NOTE: Some specimens--both male and female--will be found to have a
series of vestigial teeth the size of toothpicks in the upper and/or
lower jaws. Similar vestigial teeth, 5-40 in number, sometimes occur in
goosebeaked whales (p. 70). Further when they are prepared for museum
collections, the lower jaws of adult northern bottlenosed whales may be
found to contain a second pair of teeth just behind the first.

Northern bottlenosed whales may be distinguished from the remainder of
the beaked whale family, however, by the extremely robust body, by the
bulbous forehead, which is more extensively developed in larger animals,
particularly males, and by the pronounced dolphinlike beak.

[Illustration: Figure 67.--Northern bottlenosed whales at sea off Nova
Scotia. Note the prominent dorsal fin and the blotches of grayish-white
coloration on the body. Northern bottlenosed whales reach 32 feet (9.8
m) in overall length. (_Photo by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 68.--Views of the heads of male northern
bottlenosed whales off Nova Scotia. Note the distinctive beak (right)
and the bulbous forehead, features which develop with age and are most
pronounced in adult males. In the animal on the left, note also the low
bushy blow emanating from the indented area on the top of the head.
(_Photos by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 69.--Northern bottlenosed whales occasionally
raise their tail flukes when beginning a dive. At close range, these
flukes can often be seen to lack a distinctive notch on the rear margin.
(_Photo from off Nova Scotia by J. Hain._)]

[Illustration: Figure 70.--A stranded northern bottlenosed whale from
Holland. Note the bulbous forehead, the long dolphinlike beak and the
frequent absences of a notch in the rear margin of the tail flukes.
(_Photo by J. P. Strijbos, courtesy of Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke
Historie te Leiden._)]

GOOSEBEAKED WHALE (T)

_Ziphius cavirostris_ G. Cuvier 1823

Other Common Names

Ziphius, Cuvier's beaked whale, grampus (St. Vincent) (see also p. 96).

Description

Goosebeaked whales reach a length of 23 feet (7 m). Females are slightly
larger than males of the same age. Calves are probably less than about 6
feet (1.8 m) at birth. The head is small relative to the body length
and, when viewed laterally, is slightly concaved or scooped on the upper
margin. The cleft of the mouth is small, smaller than in any other
species of beaked whales. The beak is indistinct in larger individuals.
There is a distinct indentation on the back behind the head. Two teeth
are found at the tip of the lower jaw of adult males only.

The dorsal fin is relatively tall and distinct, to at least 15 inches
(38.1 cm), smoothly falcate, and located well behind the midpoint of the
back. The blowhole is located far forward on the top of the head. The
blow, which may project slightly forward and slightly off to the left,
is usually low and inconspicuous. Though the first blow after a long
dive may be more distinct, even it is rarely visible even under good
wind conditions for more than a few hundred yards.

Descriptions of the color pattern vary. Individuals may be dark rust
brown, slate gray, or fawn colored on the back and generally lighter on
the belly. Some appear dark in both regions, still others--particularly
youngsters--appear lighter gray or tan on the belly. The body is
frequently covered with white or cream-colored blotches (particularly on
the belly). The tail flukes are dark on the bottom. The head is
frequently paler in color. Old males have a distinct white head and are
frequently extensively scarred.

Natural History Notes

Goosebeaked whales frequently occur in groups of from 10 to as many as
25 individuals. They have been reported to jump clear of the water. They
are presumably deep divers and are known to stay down for more than 30
min. When they begin a deep dive, they often raise their tail flukes
above the surface and dive nearly vertically. Goosebeaked whales feed
primarily on squid.

May Be Confused With

So little is known of the external appearance and behavior of the living
beaked whales at sea that all the species may easily be confused.

Goosebeaked whales are larger than all other beaked whale species with
the exception of the northern bottlenosed whale. Upon close examination
they may be distinguished from the northern bottlenosed whale by the
lighter coloration of the head, reaching an extreme in the white head of
adult males. (See p. 67 and Fig. 75.)

Distribution

As with other species of beaked whales seldom encountered or at least
seldom positively identified at sea, the distribution of goosebeaked
whales is poorly known and must be constructed from records of stranded
specimens. Such records, often involving sick individuals that may have
washed ashore from considerable distances, may give an inaccurate
picture of normal ranges.

In general, stranding reports suggest that goosebeaked whales are
sparsely but widely distributed in nonpolar latitudes. They appear to be
primarily tropical in distribution, though they venture into temperate
areas in summer. They have been reported from Massachusetts and Rhode
Island south to Florida and thence to the islands of the West Indies.
They are frequently stranded along the Florida coast and are not an
uncommon species in the extant whale fishery of the Antillean Islands.
The fact that goosebeaked whales strand more frequently than other
beaked whales may reflect either a greater abundance or a greater
tendency to approach close to shore.

They are probably primarily an offshore species.

Stranded Specimens

To be positively identified, stranded goosebeaked whales in an advanced
state of decomposition may require museum preparation and examination of
the skull and teeth. Fresh specimens may be tentatively identified by
the characters illustrated in the figures.

[Illustration: Figure 71.--Goosebeaked whales have been rarely seen at
sea. In these photos from the eastern tropical Pacific, note the white
head of the animal on the left. Goosebeaked whales are wary of boats and
may dive for 30 min or more. When they surface, their blow, usually very
indistinct, may project forward and slightly to the left. (_Photos by K.
D. Sexton, courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service._)]

[Illustration: Figure 72.--A beaked whale, probably a goosebeaked whale,
jumps beside a research ship off northwestern Baja California. Note the
position and shape of the dorsal fin and the depression just behind the
head. (_Photo by S. Leatherwood._)]

[Illustration: Figure 73.--A goosebeaked whale stranded in Delaware.
Goosebeaked whales are primarily tropical in distribution, though they
apparently venture into temperate areas in summer. Note the prominent
dorsal fin, the lighter coloration of the head, and the depression just
behind the head. (_Photo from U.S. National Museum, courtesy of J. G.
Mead._)]

[Illustration: Figure 74.--A closeup of the dorsal surface of the flukes
of a juvenile goosebeaked whale stranded in the northeastern Gulf of
Mexico. Like other members of the beaked whale family, goosebeaked
whales lack a distinctive notch in the rear margin of the flukes.
(_Photo courtesy of Florida's Gulfarium._)]

[Illustration: Figure 75.--Stranded goosebeaked whales, an adult male
from northern California (top) and an immature female from the
northeastern Gulf of Mexico (bottom). Note the brownish color of the
back, marked in the adult animal by blotches of lighter gray and
numerous scratch marks, presumably tooth rakes. Note also the mouth
cleft, shorter in this species than in any other beaked whale species,
and the slightly concave appearance to the upper margin of the head. The
beak is usually less developed in large animals. The inset photo shows a
ventral view of the tip of the lower jaw of an adult male from the east
coast of Florida. The two teeth of the species are emerged above the gum
only in adult males. (_Photos by W. J. Houck (top), Florida's Gulfarium
(middle), and W. A. Huck, courtesy of Marineland of Florida (inset)._)]

OTHER BEAKED WHALES (T)

_Mesoplodon_ spp.

Other Common Names

Grampus (St. Vincent) (see also p. 96).

Description

In addition to the northern bottlenosed whale (p. 67) and the
goosebeaked whale (p. 70), four other species of beaked whales have been
reported from the western North Atlantic. All four species are known
primarily from stranded specimens and have been rarely encountered at
sea. Therefore statements of range are usually limited to inferences
from locations of strandings, and information on appearance and habits
of the species in the wild is almost totally lacking.

The infrequent encounters with beaked whales at sea may result from such
factors as 1) a low inconspicuous blow, 2) avoidance of ships, and/or 3)
distribution in small groups in offshore areas well outside the normal
boating lanes.

The following descriptions will aid primarily in identifying stranded
specimens. Though subtle differences in ranges, color patterns, and
dorsal fin shapes and positions may be helpful in narrowing the choices
of living animals, the species will continue to be extremely difficult
to distinguish from one another in the brief encounters typical at sea
until additional data are collected.

The beaked whales have the following characteristics in common: 1) two
small creases forming a V-shape on the throat, 2) the absence of a
conspicuous notch on the rear margin of the tail flukes (some specimens
have a slight indentation), and 3) the absence of functional teeth in
all except adult males. Adult males have a single pair of teeth in the
lower jaw, the position and description of which help to identify the
species. The teeth of females are not functional and only rarely emerge
from the gums. Therefore, if a stranded animal is an adult male, its
species can be determined by the position and description of the teeth.
For example, in _Mesoplodon mirus_, the teeth are located near the tip
of the lower jaw; in _M. europaeus_, they are located about a third of
the way from the tip of the snout to the corner of the mouth; in _M.
bidens_, they are nearly half way from the tip of the snout to corner
of the mouth; and in M. densirostris, they are located in large
prominences near the back of the mouth.

If the animal is a female or an immature male, however, museum
preparation and examination might be required before the species can be
positively determined. The following four sections summarize characters
of western North Atlantic beaked whales.

[Illustration: Figure 76.--An unidentified beaked whale from the
mid-Pacific. Note the marks along the back, presumably tooth rakes,
consisting of scratches that are paired and close together. A beaked
whale in the western North Atlantic marked in this manner would be a
northern bottlenosed whale (p. 67), a goosebeaked whale (p. 70), or a
True's beaked whale (p. 77). These are the only three species in which
the teeth are located close together near the tip of the lower jaw.
(_Photo by K. C. Balcomb._)]

[Illustration: Figure 77.--Various views of a herd of five or six
unidentified beaked whales, possibly dense-beaked whales, 12 miles off
Pokai Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The animals were very shy and had low
indistinct blows, making them difficult to spot and track. As they
surfaced, individuals frequently bucked their heads and slapped the chin
against the surface, rather than rolling. They did not raise their tail
flukes when beginning their long dives. (_Photos by E. Shallenberger,
Sea Life Park, Hawaii._)

(Because so little is known of beaked whales every encounter should be
recorded in as much detail as possible.)]

[Illustration: Figure 78.--Adult male beaked whales, showing the body
profile and the relative positions of the teeth. Remember that the teeth
of females and immature males are concealed beneath the gums. (_Drawing
by L. Winn._)]

TRUE'S BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon minis_ True 1913

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

True's beaked whales reach a length of at least 16 feet (4.9 m) long.
They are chunky in midbody and narrow rapidly towards the tail, closely
resembling goosebeaked whales (p. 70). In overall body shape, the head
is small with a slight indentation in the area of the blowhole, a slight
bulge to the forehead, and a pronounced beak. The flippers are small
(from one-fourteenth to one-tenth the body length). The dorsal fin is
small, slightly falcate, located in the latter third of the back, and
followed by a pronounced ridge on the tail stock. The flukes, which
sometimes contain a very slight notch, are broad (to almost one-fifth
the body length).

True's beaked whales are dull black to dark gray on the back, lighter
slate gray on the sides, and white on the belly. The body is frequently
covered with light colored spots or splotches and bears numerous pairs
of scratch marks, presumably tooth rakes (Fig. 76).

The flippers are all black and are attached in the dark coloration of
the animal's side. The flukes are dark above and below.

May Be Confused With

True's beaked whales are most likely to be confused with goosebeaked
whales (p. 70) but may also be confused with any of the other beaked
whales species (p. 74 and Fig. 78).

Distribution

True's beaked whales appear to be primarily temperate in distribution.
They have been reported from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia south as
far as Flagler Beach in Florida. Northernmost records are for summer
months.

The range of True's beaked whales overlaps with that of the Antillean
beaked whale but is more northerly.

Stranded Specimens

The teeth of adult male True's beaked whales may be visible near the tip
of the lower jaw, a characteristic shared with the goosebeaked whale (p.
70) and the northern bottlenosed whale (p. 67). Both these other species
reach substantially greater maximum lengths than True's beaked whales,
however, and should be readily distinguishable by this and the number of
other highly distinctive characteristics of each species.

Females and subadult males may be confused with any of the beaked whales
species (p. 74 and Fig. 78).

[Illustration: Figure 79.--Two views of the body of a stranded True's
beaked whale from northeastern Florida. This species reaches at least 16
feet (4.9 m) and closely resembles the goosebeaked whale in general body
shape. It is distributed in temperate waters from Nova Scotia to
Florida. (_Photos courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 80.--The head of a True's beaked whale stranded in
North Carolina. Note the small head, the pronounced beak, and the
position of the blowhole in the indentation behind the forehead. The
teeth, visible above the gums only in adult males, are in the position
indicated by the arrow. The photo on the right shows the two V-shaped
throat grooves characteristic of beaked whales. (_Photos from U.S.
National Museum, courtesy of J. G. Mead._)]

ANTILLEAN BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon europaeus_ (Gervais 1855)
(equals _M. gervaisi_ [Deslongchamps])

Other Common Names

Gulfstream beaked whale, Gervais' beaked whale.

Description

Antillean beaked whales reach a length of at least 22 feet (6.7 m). They
are slender in form and appear somewhat laterally compressed (i.e.,
taller than they are wide). The head is extremely small and tapers
rapidly to a narrow beak. The flippers are small (to about one-twelfth
the body length) with their origin well down on the sides of the body.
The dorsal fin is small, located behind the midpoint of the back, and
variable in shape from falcate to triangular. The flukes are less than
one-fifth the body length and are not notched.

Antillean beaked whales are dark grayish black on the back and sides,
slightly lighter on the abdomen. The flukes are dark gray above and
below.

Natural History Notes

Antillean beaked whales are probably primarily oceanic in distribution
and are known to feed on squid.

May Be Confused With

Antillean beaked whales may be confused with any of the other beaked
whales though they are larger than all except the northern bottlenosed
whale (p. 67) and the goosebeaked whale (p. 70).

Distribution

Antillean beaked whales have been reported stranded from the latitude of
Long Island, N.Y. south to Florida, thence into the Caribbean and the
Gulf of Mexico.

Stranded Specimens

The teeth of Antillean beaked whales are located at the suture of the
mandible, about one-third of the way from the tip of the snout to the
corner of the mouth (Fig. 78).

[Illustration: Figure 81.--Two views of an Antillean beaked whale
stranded in New Jersey in 1899. Note the very small head, the prominent
back-curved dorsal fin, and the slightly concave rear margin of the tail
flukes, which lack a distinct notch. (_Photos by F. W. True, courtesy of
U.S. National Museum._)]

[Illustration: Figure 82.--Two views of an Antillean beaked whale
stranded in Jamaica. This species reached at least 22 feet (6.7 m) in
length. Compared to the smaller True's beaked whale, Antillean beaked
whales have a smaller head, a narrower beak, and a taller, narrower
body. Furthermore, the teeth of this species are located about one-third
of the way back from the tip of the snout to the corner of the mouth.
(_Photos by J. J. Rankin._)]

DENSE-BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon densirostris_ (Blainville in Desmarest 1817)

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

Dense-beaked whales reach a length of at least 17 feet (5.2 m). The body
is distinctly spindle-shaped. The head, the contour of which is the most
distinctive characteristic of this species, is marked by a prominent
rise, located near the angle of the gape on each side. This rise, which
bears the teeth, gives a peculiar high, arching contour to the mouth (p.
84), particularly in adult males.

The flippers are small (one-eleventh to one-tenth the body length) and
have their origin in the lighter color of the lower sides. The dorsal
fin varies from small and triangular to nearly falcate and pointed on
the tip. It is located behind the midpoint of the back. The flukes are
from one-sixth to one-fifth the body length, are seldom notched, and
occasionally even bulge slightly backwards near the center of the rear
margin.

Dense-beaked whales are black or charcoal gray on the back, slightly
lighter on the abdomen. They are somewhat blotched with grayish white
and are often extensively scratched or scarred. The flippers are lighter
than the back. The flukes are dark above, light below.

Natural History Notes

From stomach contents of stranded animals dense-beaked whales are known
to feed on squid.

May Be Confused With

Adult male dense-beaked whales can be separated from the other beaked
whales by the high, arching contour to the corners of the mouth. If
there is no adult male in the group, however, dense-beaked whales may be
confused with any of the other beaked whales species.

Distribution

Dense-beaked whales have been reported from Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia
south to Florida. From all accounts, this species appears widely but
sparsely distributed in warm temperate seas.

Stranded Specimens

Adults of this species should be distinguishable by the highly
distinctive contour of the mouth. The teeth, located in the high rise of
the mouth, are oriented slightly backwards.

[Illustration: Figure 83.--A dense-beaked whale in the tank at New York
Aquarium. Note the position of the prominent dorsal fin, just breaking
the surface. The blow of beaked whales is usually small and
inconspicuous and reportedly projects markedly forward from the head.
(_Photo by J. G. Mead._)]

[Illustration: Figure 84.--Views of the heads of dense-beaked whales.
Females (bottom) and immature males have a slight curvature to the rear
of the mouth. As they mature, males (middle and top) begin to display
the two arching prominences near the corners of the mouth which give the
characteristic contour to the mouth. The teeth are located in these
prominences and are oriented slightly backwards. (Photos from
_northeastern Florida by W. A. Huck, courtesy of Marineland of Florida_
(top and middle) and by J. G. Mead (bottom).)]

[Illustration: Figure 85.--A dense-beaked whale stranded in northeastern
Florida. This species reaches about 17 feet (5.2 m) and is black or
charcoal gray on the back, lighter gray on the sides, and frequently
marked with grayish-white blotches and often extensively scarred.
(_Photo by W. A. Huck, courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

NORTH SEA BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon bidens_ (Sowerby 1804)

Other Common Names

Sowerby's beaked whale.

Description

North Sea beaked whales reach a length of at least 16.5 feet (5 m). The
body is distinctly spindle-shaped, but apparently more robust near
midbody than that of the dense-beaked whale. The head is characterized
by a pronounced bulge in front of the blowhole, a slightly concave
forehead, and a moderate to long beak. The flippers are relatively long
(one-eighth to one-ninth the body length). The dorsal fin is reportedly
tall and variable in shape from triangular to slightly falcate and is
located just behind the midpoint of the back. The flukes are not notched
but are sometimes quite concave on the rear margin.

Adult North Sea beaked whales are dark charcoal gray on the back with
white spots overall. Young animals are also dark charcoal gray on the
back but are lighter on the belly and are unspotted. The flukes of
adults are dark above and below. Those of young are dark above, lighter
below.

Natural History Notes

North Sea beaked whales are known to feed on squid.

May Be Confused With

North Sea beaked whales are the most northerly species of beaked whales.
No other species is very likely to be encountered in the same area.

Distribution

North Sea beaked whales have been reported in the offshore waters from
the latitude of New England north perhaps to the pack ice. Individuals
are occasionally drawn to the coasts of Newfoundland in summer,
presumably by concentrations of squid, a known food item.

Stranded Specimens

The teeth of North Sea beaked whales are located about midway between
the tip of the snout and the corner of the mouth. Except for this
characteristic and their northerly distribution, however, this species
might easily be confused with any other of the beaked whales species.

[Illustration: Figure 86.--North Sea beaked whales are the most
northerly of the beaked whale species, extending north as far as the
pack ice. They reach at least 16.5 feet (5.0 m) and can be identified on
the beach by the position of the teeth near the middle of the lower jaw.
Little is known of the species at sea. (_Drawing by L. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 87.--A female North Sea beaked whale (16.5 feet
[5.0 m]) stranded in Hjertuika in 1957. (_Photo courtesy of A.
Jonsgard._)]

KILLER WHALE (T)

_Orcinus orca_ (Linnaeus 1758)

Other Common Names

Blackfish (see also pilot whales, p. 91 and 94), sword fish (Canada),
grampus (see p. 96), whitefish (St. Vincent), Espladon (Quebec).

Description

Killer whales are the largest member of the dolphin family. Adult males
reach a length of at least 30 feet (9.1 m) and are robust in form. One
specimen of 31 feet (9.5 m) was recorded for the western North Pacific.
Females are considerably smaller and less stocky. Newborn are
approximately 7-8 feet (2.1-2.4 m) long. Killer whales have large
paddle-shaped flippers.

The most distinctive field character of the species is the dorsal fin.
In adult males it is extremely erect and may be as much as 6 feet (1.8
m) tall. Though the fin of females and immature males is less than 3
feet (0.9 m) tall, it is nonetheless taller even in these animals than
in any other cetacean species and is distinctly falcate and pointed on
the tip.

Killer whales are basically black with an extensive region of white on
the undersides extending from the lower jaw to the anal region with a
branch extending onto the flanks behind the dorsal fin. There is an oval
white patch on the side of the head just above and behind the eye. In
newborn and very young calves, these regions may be tan to lemon yellow
in color. Most animals have a light-gray saddle marking just behind the
dorsal fin. The undersides of the flukes are usually white. Both
all-black and all-white animals have been reported.

Natural History Notes

Killer whales travel in groups of from a few to 25 or 30 individuals,
though herds of 150 have been reported. Males appear polygamous, and
females and young may form groups separate from young bachelors and
bulls.

Killer whales are extremely fast swimmers, capable of reaching top
speeds of 25 knots or more, and have been reported "porpoising" and
breaching. Individuals and entire groups have also been reported
"spy-hopping," or "pitchpoling," behaviors which consist of hanging
vertically in the water with the head and much of the body (to just
behind the flippers) exposed above the surface.

Killer whales feed on squid, fishes, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine
mammals.

Controversy still continues over whether or not killer whales pose a
threat to man. Documented attacks of killer whales on boats are rare and
have usually been provoked (i.e., harpooning or attempts to capture).
Only two uncertain instances of attacks in the wild have been reported,
but all divers and mariners should be cautioned that this powerful
animal is perfectly capable of doing tremendous damage and should not be
provoked.

May Be Confused With

Because of its very distinctive dorsal fin, body shape, and coloration,
the killer whale is not likely to be confused with any other whale when
it can be examined at close range or when an adult male is present in
the group. Pods of females and immature animals, however, may be
confused with false killer whales or with grampus. The killer whales may
be distinguished from false killers by the following differences:

KILLER WHALE FALSE KILLER WHALE

BODY SHAPE

Chunky. Slender.

BODY COLOR

Black with white on belly, All black with some gray on
flank, and head. belly.

DORSAL FIN

Very tall and erect in adult Shorter, slender, strongly
males; tall and slightly back falcate.
curved in female.

HEAD SHAPE

Broad, rounded. Tapered, slender.

FLIPPER SHAPE

Paddle-shaped. Moderately long with
characteristic hump near
middle on forward margin.

LENGTH

To at least 30 feet (9.1 m). To at least 18 feet (5.5 m).

Furthermore, false killer whales are the only "blackfish" which are
known to ride the bow wave of a ship.

Grampus have a tall dorsal fin (15 inches [38.1 cm]) which is very
similar in appearance to that of adult female and juvenile killer
whales. But grampus have much lighter coloration, from slate gray to
nearly all white, and larger animals are covered with numerous
scratches. Upon closer examination they can be further distinguished
from killer whales by a crease in the front of the head dividing the
melon into two distinct sections. Grampus are considerably smaller, to
about 13 feet (4 m) maximum length.

Distribution

In the western North Atlantic killer whales have been reported from the
polar pack ice south to Florida and St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles, and
into the Gulf of Mexico at least as far as Texas, though they are far
more common in the cooler waters from about New Jersey north.
Throughout their range, killer whales seem to prefer coastal areas and
often enter shallow bays, estuaries, and river mouths in search of food.

Migrations of the species are probably closely tied to movements of
their food supply. They annually arrive on the coast of New England with
the tuna. Along the Canadian coasts, where distribution and migrations
have been described in some detail, killer whales appear to move inshore
in spring and summer. Many arrive off the east coast of Newfoundland in
June, the Strait of Belle Isle in June and July, and slightly later
along the Labrador coast and Arctic waters. They are found around the
loose ice in April, presumably feeding on harp seals, _Pagophilus
groenlandicus_, and hooded seals, _Cystophora cristata_, and are
frequent in the St. Lawrence estuary in spring and autumn following the
movements of the white whales. The northward movements in spring also
coincide with migrations of balaenopterine whales, which have also been
reported among the food items. Killer whales may remain in arctic or
subarctic waters until driven out by new forming ice in October and
November. Though the migration has not been as thoroughly described,
killer whales apparently begin shifting southwards in autumn.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded killer whales should be readily identifiable by the robust
body, the distinctive body markings, and in larger animals the tall
dorsal fin. Killer whales have from 10 to 12 large, prominent teeth on
each side of the upper and lower jaws.

[Illustration: Figure 89.--Killer whales are often distributed very
close to shore. In these photos from Baja California, they are shown in
two characteristic behaviors--breaching (top) and "spy-hopping" or
"pitchpoling" (bottom). (_Photos by S. Leatherwood._)]

[Illustration: Figure 88.--A small herd of killer whales off southern
California (top) and details of an adult male from that herd (middle)
and of females or immature males off Islas San Benito, Baja California
(bottom). Adult males have a tall erect dorsal fin, which may be more
than 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, while the fins of females and immature males
are less than 3 feet (0.9 m) tall, distinctly falcate, and pointed on
the tip. Both sexes frequently have a grayish-white region, called a
"saddle," behind the dorsal fin. (_Photos by T. Dohl (top and middle)
and S. Leatherwood (bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 90.--A leaping killer whale in California
aquarium. Note the distinctive coloration of the species, white on the
lower jaw, the belly and the anus, and on both sides above the anus.
Note also the distinctive white eye patch often visible on animals at
sea. (_Photo by D. K. Caldwell._)]

[Illustration: Figure 91.--Killer whales have from 10 to 12 large
prominent teeth, curved slightly backwards and inwards on each side of
each jaw. (_Photos from Point Mugu, Calif. by S. Leatherwood._)]

FALSE KILLER WHALE (T)

_Pseudorca crassidens_ (Owen 1846)

Other Common Names

Mongoose (St. Vincent).

Description

False killer whales in the western North Atlantic reach a length of at
least 18 feet (5.5 m). Males are slightly larger than females. Calves
from 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) may be seen at any time throughout the
year.

The dorsal fin, located just behind the midpoint of the back, is from 7
to 16 inches (17.8 to 40.6 cm) tall, falcate, and variable to sharply
pointed on the tip. The flippers are characterized by a broad hump on
the front margin near the middle, a characteristic which is diagnostic
for the species.

The body of the species is all black except for a blaze of gray on the
belly between the flippers. This blaze varies from barely visible to
light grayish white similar to but generally fainter than that of pilot
whales. The body is long and slender, and the head is narrow and gently
tapered from the area of the blowhole forward.

Natural History Notes

False killer whales are a social form and may occur in herds of up to at
least 100 individuals. They often jump clear of the water and frequently
ride the bow waves of vessels. They are the only "blackfish" which are
known to do so. False killer whales feed primarily on squid and large
fishes and are notorious for their habit of stealing fish from the lines
of fishermen. The large prominent teeth may be visible on a swimming
animal.

May Be Confused With

False killer whales may be confused with killer whales, pilot whales, or
the smaller, poorly known pygmy killer whale (p. 138) and many-toothed
blackfish (p. 142).

The characteristics distinguishing the species from the killer whale are
tabularized on p. 84; its differences from the pilot whales are
summarized on p. 92.

At sea, false killer whales are distinguishable from the other two
species primarily by their larger size and differences in coloration.
False killer whales are up to 18 feet (5.5 m) in length. Pygmy killer
whales and many-toothed blackfish reach only 8-9 feet (2.4-2.7 m) in
length. Pygmy killer whales have an extensive region of white on the
belly which may extend onto the sides and both pygmy killer whales and
many-toothed blackfish have a distinctive white region on the lips,
usually lacking or indistinct on false killer whales.

Neither of the smaller species of blackfish has been reported to ride
bow waves.

Distribution

False killer whales are widely distributed in the pelagic tropical,
subtropical, and warm temperate waters of the western North Atlantic.
They have been reported from off Maryland south along the mainland
coasts of North America, in the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba and the Lesser
Antilles, and from the southeast Caribbean Sea. The species has been
reported from Venezuela.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded false killer whales can be positively identified by: 1) the
large size (to 18 feet [5.5 m]); 2) the slender body tapering rapidly to
a long slender head; 3) the markedly long mouth, with from 8 to 11
large, conspicuous teeth in each side of each jaw recalling those of the
killer whale, but circular and not, as in killer whales, elliptical; 4)
the unusually shaped flipper bulging conspicuously on the forward
margin.

For comparison with "blackfish" of similar size (the pilot whales) see
p. 92 and 94.

False killer whales do not appear to occur frequently in coastal waters,
sandy bays, or estuaries, though entire herds have stranded in such
areas. Records from throughout the range suggest that the species has an
oceanic distribution.

[Illustration: Figure 92.--False killer whales at sea 600 miles (968.0
km) off northeastern Florida. Note the smoothly falcate dorsal fin,
pointed on the tip, and located near the midpoint of the back. Dorsal
fins of this species may also be rounded on the tip but all are sharply
concaved on the rear margin. (_Photo by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 93.--False killer whales are the only "blackfish"
that routinely ride the bow waves of vessels. On this animal riding on
the bow wave of a research ship, note the all-black coloration of the
back, head, and sides and the broad "hump" near the middle of the
flippers on the leading edge. (_Photo 600 miles [968 km] off
northeastern Florida by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 94.--A false killer whale stranded in northeastern
Florida. Note the narrow tapering head, overhanging the lower jaw by
several inches, the position and shape of the dorsal fin and the
distinctive "hump" on the leading margin of the flippers. (_Photo by W.
A. Huck, courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 95.--Entire herds of false killer whales sometimes
strand themselves. In this dorsal view of an animal stranded in
southeastern Florida, note the extremely distinctive "hump" on the
forward margin of the flippers and the narrow head, tapering towards the
tip of the snout. (_Photo by J. Krol._)]

[Illustration: Figure 96.--False killer whales have from 8 to 11 large,
conspicuous teeth in each side of each jaw. These teeth are often
visible in swimming animals, particularly when they are engaged in their
obnoxious habit of stealing fish from the lines of fishermen. The teeth
are so distinctive that they can also be used to identify even a badly
decomposed stranded specimen. (_Photo, courtesy of Sea Life Park,
Hawaii._)]

ATLANTIC PILOT WHALE (T)

_Globicephala melaena_ (Traill 1809)

Other Common Names

Northern pilot whale, long-finned pilot whale, pothead, blackfish,
calling whale, caa'ing whale.

Description

Male Atlantic pilot whales reach an average length of at least 20 feet
(6.2 m). Females are slightly smaller, probably not exceeding 18 feet
(5.5 m). Young are 5-7 feet (1.5-2.1 m) at birth.

The head is thick and bulbous, a characteristic which reaches an extreme
in the development of the head of adult males (prompting the common name
"pothead"). The flippers are long (to one-fifth of the body length, or
more) and sickle-shaped. The tail is dorsally thickened just in front of
the flukes.

The dorsal fin of this species is one of its most distinctive
characteristics. It is low in profile, has a long base, is set far
forward on the animal's back, and is falcate to "flaglike" in
appearance. The dorsal fin of adult males reportedly has a thicker
leading edge and a rounder form than that of the female.

Atlantic pilot whales are black on the back and sides (prompting the
common name "blackfish") but have an anchor-shaped patch of grayish
white on the chin and a gray area on the belly, both of which are
variable in extent and intensity. Some larger animals have a gray saddle
behind the dorsal fin, though this zone of color is found more
frequently in short-finned pilot whales. Young animals are often a
lighter medium gray.

Natural History Notes

Atlantic pilot whales may occur in herds of 200 animals or more, though
herds of 50 or fewer (4-6) are more common. They are sometimes found in
association with Atlantic white-sided dolphins.

Pilot whales are sometimes found hanging vertically in the water with
the head and part of the back out of the water in what has been called
"spy-hopping" or "pitchpoling." Individuals frequently lobtail. Pilot
whales infrequently breach, a behavior which is usually confined to
younger animals. They do not ride bow waves.

Atlantic pilot whales feed primarily on squid but also take cod and
other fishes. A Pacific pilot whale, a closely related species, was
found by radio telemetric studies to be capable of diving to 2,000 feet
(609.6 m).

Atlantic pilot whales were formerly the object of an active shore
fishery off Newfoundland (1950-1971). In addition, entire herds and,
less frequently, individuals are sometimes stranded.

May Be Confused With

Atlantic pilot whales are most likely to be confused with false killer
whales, with which they share the waters from off Virginia to those off
Maryland. The two species may be distinguished by the following
characteristics:

ATLANTIC PILOT WHALE FALSE KILLER WHALE

SHAPE OF HEAD

Thick and often squarish in Slender, gently tapering
larger animals. mouth long.

SHAPE OF BODY

Robust. Long and slender.

DORSAL FIN

Broad-based and falcate. Slender, tall, falcate, and
pointed on tip.

COLORATION

Black with gray saddle Mostly black with gray blaze
sometimes evident behind of variable extent and
dorsal fin and gray region intensity on belly between
on chin and belly. flippers.

BEHAVIOR

Will not ride bow waves; May ride bow waves, often
seldom breaches. "porpoises" and breaches.

RANGE

Temperate waters from at Temperate seas from at least
least North Carolina north. Maryland south.

In the extreme southern portion of their range, Atlantic pilot whales
may be confused with short-finned pilot whales with which they have only
a limited seasonal common range. Characters distinguishing these species
are subtle and may not be adequate to permit them to be distinguished at
sea. For purposes of this guide it is generally that pilot whales living
north of lat. 38 deg.N (Virginia coast) are Atlantic pilot whales and those
living south of lat. 38 deg.N are short-finned pilot whales.

Distribution

Atlantic pilot whales, the northernmost of the two pilot whales species,
are found in winter from the Grand Banks south as far as North Carolina
and in summer from Iceland and Greenland south to the New Jersey coast.
Winter concentrations of pilot whales may be found off the Newfoundland
coast and near Cape Cod, Mass. Atlantic pilot whales are distributed
both in coastal waters and in deep waters off the continental shelf.

Stranded Specimens

As discussed above, individuals and groups of pilot whales frequently
strand themselves for still incompletely understood reasons. They may be
identified as pilot whales primarily by: 1) the robust body and bulbous
head, which is often squarish in adult animals, and 2) the broad-based,
falcate dorsal fin located far forward on the back. Accurate
determination of the pilot whale species involved in the stranding may
require museum preparation of the skull and detailed examination of its
characteristics. Preliminary identification may be made, however, based
on the following:

ATLANTIC PILOT WHALE SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE

FLIPPER LENGTH

To one-fifth body length, To one-sixth body length, or
or more. less.

NORMAL RANGE

From North Carolina north. From North Carolina south.

TEETH

8-11 per row. 7-9 per row.

[Illustration: Figure 97.--A herd of Atlantic pilot whales off
Massachusetts. The most distinguishing field characteristic of this
species, and of their southern cousins, the short-finned pilot whales,
is the highly distinctive dorsal fin, extremely long based, lo

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