| 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.
Head Shape
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.