Teacher Resources > Facts about Dolphins & Whales > Facts about Long-finned pilot whales
Facts about Long-finned pilot whales
Factfile
| 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 |
Identification
| 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. |
