PILOT WHALE

Globicephala melaena (long-finned) & 

Globicephala macrorhynchus (short-finned)

Quote

" The Pilot Whale, like the killer whale, 

is a member of the dolphin family, 

and is second only to the killer whale in size. 

It does well in captivity, and is easily trained, 

displaying intelligence equal to that of the bottlenose dolphin. 

The Pilot Whale has a distinct rounded head with a very slight beak 

and an up-curved mouthline. 

In males, the rounded head may protrude up to 4 inches over the lower jaw. 

It's body is long and stocky, 

narrowing along the caudal peduncle (tailstock). 

Generally all black to coal gray, 

the pilot whale has a white or light gray anchor-shaped patch on its ventral (bottom) surface. 

The short finned pilot whale has a faint gray saddle patch behind the dorsal fin. 

Males are much larger than females. 

Adult males measure up to 20 feet (6.1m) and weight up to 3 tons. 

Adult females measure up to 16 feet (4.9m) and weight up to 1.5 tons  

The Pilot Whale feeds primarily on squid, 

although it's known to eat octopus, cuttlefish, herring and other small fish when squid is unavailable. 

It has only 40 to 48 teeth, compared to 120 in many other dolphin species.....

Its teeth are used only for catching/grasping. 

An adult pilot whale may eat up to 30 pounds per day. 

Pilot Whales are very social, and are most often found in groups of 20 to 90. 

In general, 

Pilot Whales are found in both the northern and southern hemispheres, 

in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. 

Short finned pilot whales tend to be found in warmer waters, 

while cold and more temperate waters are preferred by the long-finned variety. 

"

Pilot Whale Surface Characteristics