Whales

Pilot Whale - Globicephala macrorhynchus or Globicephala melas

The name ‘Pilot Whale’ is used in reference to both of the above genii, which are the Long-finned Pilot Whale and the Short-finned Pilot Whale. Pilot Whale is generally used to refer to both as they are not easily distinguishable by merely sighting them from the boat. This whale is part of the same genus as the dolphin family, and is one of the smaller species of whale. Together with larger types of dolphins, they are sometimes called ‘blackfish’.

The Pilot Whale generally lives for up to 45 years for males and 60 years for females. Males reach approximately 6.1m at maturity and females measure about 4.9m. Their weight averages 3 tons for males and 1.5 tons for females. Calves are relatively small compared to other whale species, weighing only about 100kg.

In terms of appearance, the long- and short-finned members of the Pilot Whale family are almost identical. Their long, sturdy bodies are black, or an extremely dark shade of grey and taper dramatically just before the tail. The dorsal fin is closer to the head than the tail and slants backwards. The Long-finned Pilot Whale has a square head with a forehead that hangs over the mouth in a scowling fashion. The Short-finned Pilot Whale’s is far more rounded, and appears to be bulging out. Both types have an average of 35 teeth, and feed mainly on squid. This is a fairly small number of teeth and this is thought to be due to decades of eating soft squid.

The Pilot Whale is a gregarious creature, travelling in pods of about 10 to 30. In certain instances, these pods can reach up to 100 whales. Out of curiosity, these whales will often approach boats and even play with them.

The Pilot Whale is very common, and is likely to be spotted the world over as long as the water is deep, although the short-finned variety is slightly more prevalent. Its long-finned counterparts prefer cooler waters – one group favours the coasts of Canada (to the east), Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia, while the other group prefers the North Atlantic Ocean, from South Carolina to the Azores / Morocco and from Newfoundland to Greenland / Iceland. The Short-finned Pilot Whale likes the warmer waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The Pilot Whale is listed as being Lower Risk; conservation dependent” by the IUCN, and their numbers are fairly stable and safe. In times past, whalers would for a circle around a pod of whales and drive them to the shore, where they would slaughter them. This practice is, fortunately, outdated and no longer common. These days, both species are caught in nets each year, which poses somewhat of a threat to their numbers.