Whales

Hubbs’ Beaked Whale - Mesoplodon carlHubbs’i

The Hubbs’ Beaked Whale was originally thought to be the Andrews’ Beaked Whale, when Carl Hubbs’ discovered it as a new species and named it in his honour. Adult males have a very distinctive elevated prominence on top of the head just anterior to the large, crescentic blowhole. This raised area, which is white, is likened to a cap or beanie. The mouthline of the adult males is interrupted on each side at about midlength by a raised area of the lower jaw, out of which a substantial, laterally compressed tooth protrudes through the gum. The upper portion of the tooth is exposed to a variable degree. It is visible outside the closed mouth and therefore is properly referred to as a tusk. A pair of long, anteriorly convergent creases are present on the throat. The dorsal fin is situated behind the midpoint of the back and it reaches a height of 23-23 cm in adults. The flippers are proportionally smaller, and they fit into ‘flipper pockets’ which are slight depressions in the body wall immediately behind the point of their insertion. Its body is fairly typical in appearance, rather round in appearance with its lower mandibles arching over the rostrum, similar to the Blainville’s Beaked Whale, except less extreme. Males are dark grey to black in colour, with white patches on its beak and on its bulbous melon head. Females and young whales are a lighter grey on top which countershades to white below, sometimes also having white on their beaks. Males are prone to extensive scarring which is also white in colour. The Hubbs’ Beaked Whales reach lengths of 5.4 meters and some 1500 kilograms in weight for both males and females. Newborns are the longest for any beaked whale, measuring 2.5 meters which is around some 46 % of its mothers length.

The Hubbs’ Beaked Whales are found in the cold temperate waters of the eastern and western North Pacific. Most strandings have been along the North American coast from Prince Rupert, British Columbia to La Jolla, in California with most records being from California. Their more restricted range is in the western North Pacific, with a few records from around the fishing town of Ayukawa, Honshu in Japan. Beachings in Hawaii have recently occurred, supporting the theory that this species have an open ocean habitation. The male is one of the few beaked whales that could be positively identified at sea, although only one probable sighting has been made. Hence very little is known about their behaviour at sea, although from their degree of scarring, it suggests the males are very aggressive and competitive. From the lack of sightings, the Hubbs’ Beaked Whales are presumed to be shy and unobtrusive like the other Mesoplodon species.

This species is not known to be of interest to commercial fisheries and is probably protected because it is so rare to be spotted by man. Although in 1993, some of these whales have been reported to have been taken by harpoon in Japan.