Short-finned pilot whale
The short-finned pilot whale, a member of the Delphinidae family, is a social and curious marine mammal known for its distinctive jet-black coloration and a white stripe on its underside. Typically measuring between 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) in length, males can weigh around 7,900 pounds (3,600 kilograms), while females average 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms). This species is characterized by its smaller, curved flippers compared to its long-finned relatives, and it has a single blowhole on its large melon-shaped head for breathing.
Short-finned pilot whales are highly social creatures, often forming large groups called schools, which can consist of at least 40 individuals but sometimes number in the hundreds. They exhibit strong familial bonds and engage in cooperative behaviors such as hunting and playing. Their diet primarily consists of squid, and they utilize echolocation to locate prey, emitting high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects in the water.
Breeding occurs year-round, with females giving birth to a single calf after a gestation period of 15 to 16 months. Males generally reach maturity at 13 to 16 years, while females do so by the age of 9. With a life span of up to 45 years for males and 60 years for females, these whales play significant roles in their social structures, with older females often assisting in the care of young members of the group.
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Short-finned pilot whale
Short-finned pilot whales are smaller than long-finned pilot whales with shorter fins and fewer teeth. They are social and curious animals that can dive to a depth of over 3,200 feet (960 meters).
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Globicephala
Species: Macrorhynchus
Short-finned pilot whales are jet-black everywhere except for a stripe of white skin on their undersides. They have large melon-shaped heads that help them to find their prey. On the tops of their heads are blowholes that allow them to breathe. They must go to the water’s surface to breathe. Each short-finned pilot whale has just one blowhole. Each also has a tail fin, two flippers, and a dorsal fin. A dorsal fin is a fin on an animal's back. These pilot whales are called short-finned because their two curved flippers are shorter than the fins of long-finned pilot whales. They grow to a length between 13 and 20 feet (4 to 6 meters). Male short-finned pilot whales weigh about 7,900 pounds (3,600 kilograms), and females weigh 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms). Short-finned pilot whales have a layer of fatty tissue, called blubber, under their skin. This fat is used to keep the animals warm in colder waters and as a storage place for food.
Short-finned pilot whales swim in groups called schools. These schools usually have at least 40 but can have hundreds of members. Pilot whales get their name from the way the schools all follow a single leader, or pilot. In these groups, the whales hunt, play, rest, and travel. They are loyal and form strong bonds in their groups.
Short-finned pilot whales eat mainly squid, but sometimes also eat fish. Short-finned pilot whales find their food by echolocation. Echolocation is like the radar used to track airplanes. Short-finned pilot whales send out very high-pitched special sounds from their noses. Humans cannot hear these sounds. They direct the sounds to certain places in the water. The sounds travel through the water, bounce off objects, and travel back to the whale. Short-finned pilot whales can tell how far away their prey is by the time it takes for the sounds to return to them. This process shows the whales where to swim to catch their prey. Short-finned pilot whales can tell the difference between sounds that have bounced off of rocks and fish.
Mating season for short-finned pilot whales is year-round. When breeding in the winter, they usually swim south to warmer waters. Short-finned pilot whales have a gestation period (duration of pregnancy) of 15 to 16 months. The female then gives birth to a single calf, or young whale. Females breed once every three years. Females reach maturity after 9 years and males after 13 to 16 years. Older females that have finished reproducing help care for the young in their group.
Pilot whales can swim up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) when alarmed.
The short-finned pilot whale has a life span of 45 years for males and 60 years for females.
Bibliography
"Short-Finned Pilot Whale." NOAA Fisheries, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/short-finned-pilot-whale. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Short-Finned Pilot Whale." Whale and Dolphin Conservation, uk.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/short-finned-pilot-whale. Accessed 1 May 2024.