SHORT FINNED PILOT WHALES (Globicephala macrorhynchus) ©Pascal Kobeh We once came upon a pod of pilot whales while sailing,from Los Angeles to Catalina Island. They let us sail alongside them for quite a distance, so exciting! Part of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae), though its behaviour is closer to that of the larger whales. Short-finned Pilot Whales are very sociable and are rarely seen alone. They are found in groups of ten to thirty, though some pods are as large as sixty. They are sometimes seen logging and will allow boats to get quite close. They rarely breach, but may be seen lobtailing (slapping their flukes on the water surface) and spyhopping (poking their heads above the surface). Before diving, they arch their tails and raise them above the surface. When coming to the surface to breathe, adults tend to show only the top of their head, whereas calves will throw their entire head out of the water. Adults occasionally porpoise (lift most of the body out of the water) when swimming particularly quickly. They are known as the ‘Cheetahs of the Deep’ for the high speed pursuits of squids at depths of hundreds of metres. Field ID: Stocky body, bulbous forehead, no prominent beak, long flippers sharply pointed at the tip, black or dark grey colour, fin set forward on body, fluke raised before deep dive, may float motionless at the surface, frequently seen in very large groups, prefers deep water, may be approached. Length (metres): Adults are 3.5 - 6.5 metres in length. When they are born short-finned pilot whales are about 1.4-1.9 metres long. Weight: At birth, Short-finned Pilot Whales weigh about 60kg (135lb). A fully grown adult will weigh between 1 and 4 tonnes. Diet: Fish, Squid, Octopus Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-finned_pilot_whale Other images you may enjoy: Blue Whale Facts Sunfish/Mola Mola - huge swimming plate Orca - power —- A family of short-finned pilot whales by Pascal Kobeh
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reblogged from ilovewater93
originally posted by allcreatures

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Source: discoverwildlife.com