Toothed whales
Southern bottlenose whale
See all species Despite being the most commonly sighted species of beaked whale in the Antarctic, the southern bottlenose whale is one of the least well-studied species in the family Ziphiidae. The southern bottlenose whale forms an ‘anti-tropical species pair’ with the northern bottlenose whale. Other names: Antarctic bottlenose whale, Flatheaded bottlenose whale, Flathead Male…
Read MoreLong-finned pilot whale
See all species Long-finned pilots whales do indeed have very long flippers! However, the ‘pilot’ part of their name comes from an old theory that each pod is piloted by a single leader. We now know this is not the case, but the name has stuck. Pilot whales are actually large dolphins; they are the…
Read MoreFraser’s dolphin
See all species Fraser’s dolphins were first identified from a mislabelled skeleton in 1956 and only ‘rediscovered’ in the wild in the 1970s. First identified by Francis Charles Fraser following the examination of a mislabelled dolphin skeleton in the British Museum, the stunning Fraser’s dolphins were lost to science until the early 1970s. Other names:…
Read MoreGinkgo-toothed beaked whale
See all species The ginkgo-toothed beaked whales is named after the ginkgo tree. The tree is commonly found on the coastline in Japan near to where this beaked whale has predominantly been found. The shape of the male’s teeth are similar to the shape of the leaf. Other names: Japanese beaked whale Male Female Calf…
Read MoreHector’s beaked whale
See all species Although first described from stranded remains in 1866, there has only been one confirmed sighting of a Hector’s beaked whale in the wild. Other names: Skew-beaked whale, New Zealand beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 4.3m 4.3m 2.0m Maximum weight Unknown 1,840kg Unknown IUCN conservation status: Data Deficient What do Hector’s…
Read MoreHubb’s beaked whale
See all species As the name suggests, Hubbs’ beaked whale was discovered by Carl Hubbs. Unfortunately, like other whales in this family, little is known about this mysterious lover of the deep. Other names: Arch-beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 5.4m 5.4m 2.5m Maximum weight Unknown 1,500kg Unknown IUCN conservation status: Data Deficient What…
Read MoreGervais’ beaked whale
See all species The first recorded specimen of Gervais’ beaked whale was found floating in the English Channel in 1840. Despite this, most of the information about the Gervais’ beaked whale has been gleaned from strandings and a handful of confirmed sightings at sea. Other names: Antillean beaked whale, European beaked whale, Gulf stream beaked…
Read MoreAustralian humpback dolphin
See all species Despite only being recognised as distinct in 2014, the species is already classified as ‘Vulnerable.’ This is a very a worrying indicator of the level of threat facing them. Male Female Calf Maximum length 2.8m 2.6m 1.0m Maximum weight 280kg Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Vulnerable What do Australian humpback dolphins look…
Read MoreGray’s beaked whale
See all species Gray’s beaked whales are slightly better known than other beaked whales. There have been several live sightings of individuals and small groups in the wild. Many ‘beaked’ species have never been reliably sighted in the wild! Other names: Scamperdown whale, Southern beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 5.7m 5.3m 2.1m Maximum weight…
Read MoreDwarf sperm whale
See all species Pint-sized whales of pure perfection, dwarf sperm whales are small yet totally mighty. Even smaller than several species of dolphins, dwarf sperm whales are gorgeous little whales closely related to pygmy sperm whales. Thought to include two separate species, the Atlantic dwarf sperm whale and the Indo-Pacific dwarf sperm whale, these whales…
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