Teacher Resources > Facts about Dolphins & Whales > Facts about Long-finned pilot whales
Scientific Name: | Globicephala melas |
Family: | Delphinidae |
Range: | Temperate to subpolar regionsof all oceans except North Pacific |
Habitat: | Offshore and oceanic |
Status: | Common |
Population: | In excess of 500,000 |
Diet: | Mostly squid and schooling fish |
Length: | 4-7.6m |
Weight: | 2-3.8 tons |
Flukes: | Concave trailing edges and a distinct notch |
Dorsal fin: | Low, long and broad based, with a rounded tip and trailing edge that is usually strongly concave |
Flippers: | Long, narrow and swept back. About 1/5th of body length in long-finned species |
Shape of head: | Bulbous melon and short beak, sometimes a pale stripe extends diagonally upward from each eye |
Body: | Largely dark grey, black or brown. May have a grey “saddle patch” behind the dorsal fin. White or pale patch on belly and W-shaped area on the throat |
Blow: | Strong blow up to 1.2m high |
Group size: | Groups of 10-60, but up to hundreds or thousands |
Behaviour: | Commonly lobtails or spyhops, and sometimes logs. Shallow dives last 2-6 minutes, deep dives 10 minutes. Dives are interspersed with several breaths. |