Whales - Species | Shepherds Beaked Whale

Shepherd's Beaked Whale - Tasmacetus shepherdi

There is very little known about the Shepherd's Beaked Whale as hardly any studies have been carried out on its life, movements, characteristics or breeding. One of the reasons for this is that the Shepherd's Beaked Whale is known for being a particularly shy species, as well as the fact that there are not many of them swimming in the world’s oceans. In addition, only 28 specimens have ever washed up, or been recorded as such.

Because of the lack of evidence and research, there are no official records stating the current population of the Shepherd’s Beaked Whale. It is appropriate to presume, however, that they occupy the waters of the Southern hemisphere fairly broadly, as it seems to prefer more temperate waters. They tend to shy away from the coastline and remain in the deeper waters. There are only two recorded sightings; one in New Zealand and one in the Seychelles, and stranded whales have been found in New Zealand, Argentina, Juan Fernandez, Australia, Taranaki and the Sandwich Islands.

The Shepherd’s Beaked Whale is the only beaked whale with a full set of teeth. Adults reach approximately 7m to 9m in length, so this species is relatively small in comparison to other whales. The long snout, or beak, tapers into a pointy tip towards the end. The dorsal fin is closer to the tail than the head, and is sickle-shaped. The colour of the body is dark brown, which shades to black. Light patches or white shading extends along the sides of the body, in front of and behind the anterior fins. The belly is a lighter shade of brown and black. One notable finding was that all of the specimens had a set of functional teeth. This implies that their diet consists of more than the soft squid that most whales enjoy, and is likely to include fish and perhaps even crustaceans.

There is no official conservation status, and no Shepherd’s Beaked Whale has been recorded as having been caught or killed. It is also impossible to tell whether this elusive creature engages in migrations, whether seasonal or at all..