Whales - Species | Southern Bottlenose Whale

Southern Bottlenose Whale - Hyperoodon planifrons

The Southern Bottlenose Whale is a rare beaked whale found throughout the waters of the Southern hemisphere. Sightings include the coasts of Brazil, South Africa, east Australia, New South Wales, west Australia, Chile, and possibly Japan, Hawaii and along the equator in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Although it seems to prefer cold waters, it has also been seen to enjoy the warmer waters.

The body of the Southern Bottlenose Whale is stocky, and usually measures between 6m and 9m. The foreheads bulge over their short beak. Their bodies are dark brown to yellow, with lighter sides and bellies. This colouring is supposed to be caused by a thin layer of phytoplankton that covers their entire body. Adult males’ foreheads are squarer and they boast two conical teeth, while the females are distinguished by their rounded foreheads and lack of teeth. The Southern Bottlenose Whale’s dorsal fin is further towards the tail than the head.

Although their habitat is extensive in terms of global coverage, they still prefer the more remote areas, making them an uncommon species to view from tourist boats or fishing vessels. They tend to float to the surface for about 10 minutes, blowing every 30 seconds, and then dive beneath for up to 1 hour at a time. The Southern Bottlenose Whale does not favour large groups and sticks to smaller pods of about 15 animals. There is a definite inclination towards deep waters (2000m or more). Due to their patterns of migration, whale-watchers are most likely to spot these rare creatures during February and October in the Southern hemisphere, particularly off the South African coastline. In these waters, they feed off the rich supply of squid and fish.

The Southern Bottlenose Whale has been fortunate enough to avoid being the victim of commercial hunting, but has been slaughtered for research purposes, and others caught in fishing nets.