Pilot Whales
This topic of “Pilot Whales” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Portion.
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.
