Species Guide
Pacific Gray Whale Population Drops by Nearly 25%
Being taken off the endangered species list sadly doesn’t guarantee a carefree future for whales. Recent research estimates that the population of Pacific gray whales off North America’s West Coast has declined by almost a quarter since 2016. These whales are known for the epic migrations between their Arctic feeding grounds and the breeding lagoons…
Read MoreRice’s whale
See all species Formerly known as the “Gulf of Mexico sub-population” of Bryde’s whales, Rice’s whale was identified as a separate species in 2021. From the skull of an individual that stranded in 2019, scientists identified characteristics that distinguish them as a new species. It is named after the late biologist Dale Rice, the first…
Read MoreSato’s beaked whale
See all species Sato’s beaked whale was only recognised as a new species in 2019. Only a few stranded individuals have been recorded in the North Pacific. Male Female Calf Maximum length 6.9m Unknown Unknown Maximum weight Unknown Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Near Threatened What do Sato’s beaked whales look like? Sato’s beaked whale…
Read MoreDeraniyagala’s Beaked Whale
See all species Deraniyagala’s beaked whale has never been seen, let alone studied, alive in the ocean. This entire whale species is known from only seven dead whales that have stranded on remote tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans over the past 50 years. A Sri Lankan scientist named Mr Deraniyagala’s first named…
Read MoreSowerby’s beaked whale
See all species Sowerby’s beaked whale was the first of the beaked whales to be discovered after a stranding in the Moray Firth in 1800. Other names: North Sea beaked whale, North Atlantic beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 5.5m 5.1m 2.4m Maximum weight 1,300kg 1,300kg Unknown IUCN conservation status: Least Concern What do…
Read MoreShepherd’s beaked whale
See all species The Shepherd’s beaked whale is the only species of beaked whale to have a full set of functional teeth in both jaws and the adult male has a larger pair of tusks that ‘erupt’ at the tip of the lower jaw. The external appearance of Shepherd’s beaked whales was only described in…
Read MorePygmy beaked whale
See all species The pygmy beaked whale was only classified as a distinct species in 1991. Other names: Peruvian beaked whale, Lesser beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 3.7m 3.7m 1.6m Maximum weight Unknown Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Data Deficient What do Pygmy beaked whales look like? The pygmy beaked whale has a…
Read MorePerrin’s beaked whale
See all species Based on just five individuals that stranded along the coast of California between 1975 and 1997, Perrin’s beaked whale was only recognised as a species a few years ago. Male Female Calf Maximum length 3.9m 4.4m Unknown Maximum weight Unknown Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Endangered What do Perrin’s beaked whales look…
Read MoreStejneger’s beaked whale
See all species Stejneger’s beaked whale is thought to be the only species of Mesoplodon common in Alaskan waters. The majority of information that is known about the species biology and life history is a result of strandings (which appear to peak in both the winter and spring months), primarily off the west coast of…
Read MoreSpade-toothed beaked whale
See all species The spade-toothed beaked whale has the distinction of possibly being the least known of all the world’s whales! It is described only from skeletal remains consisting of two skulls and one jawbone. It has never been seen in the wild. Other names: Traver’s beaked whale, Bahamondi’s beaked whale, Spade-toothed whale Male Female…
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