| Blainville's beaked whale is found worldwide in warm temperate to tropical waters. Small pods of 3-7 whales have been seen off Hawaii in waters 700 to 1,000 m deep, near much deeper water. None have been seen near the British Isles, but one was recorded from Portugal and one from the Mediterranean coast near Spain. There are also scattered records from the Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic, and the South Pacific. Males of this species have relatively enormous teeth, about 120 mm tall, 80 mm long from front to back, and 30 mm wide. Their mouths have a distinctively curved line, as the lower jaw becomes very deep toward the back to accommodate them. A female stranded in North Carolina had scars on her skin that might have come from a killer whale or false killer whale.
Also known as:
Atlantic Beaked Whale, Dense Beaked Whale
Length:
Range:
up to 4.7 m males; up to 4.7 m females
Weight:
Range:
1,033 kg female
References:
Blainville 1817. Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, Nouv. ed., 9:178.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World (opens in a new window).
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