Pilot Whales

News

• Recently, 97 pilot whales were stranded in Western Australia, and unfortunately, 51 of them have already died.

What

• Pilot whales refer to species of the genus Globicephala, which translates to ’round head.’
• These marine mammals are characterized by their bulbous head and thick, curved dorsal fin.
• There are two species of pilot whales:
  • Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), found in tropical and warm-temperate regions.
  • Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), mainly found in colder waters.

Features

• Pilot whales inhabit open waters but are sometimes spotted near coastal areas.
• They are typically nomadic in their movements.
• These whales form social groups of between 20 and 100 individuals.
• The social groups of pilot whales are matrilineal, meaning they are organized around the female members of the group.