Pilot Whale

ID points

• Bulbous rounded forehead with almost no visible snout
• Low dorsal fin with a very broad base, set well forward
• Travels in extremely tight pods that stay together for life

Basics

Family

Delphinidae

Length

4.0–6.5 m

Depth

0-600 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Deep sea

Distribution

Deep waters worldwide

Habitat

Deep open ocean

Diet

Squid and fish

Easily confused with

False Killer WhaleEntirely black, with a conical head and no beakOrcaSharply black and white, with a white oval patch behind the eyeBottlenose DolphinShort thick bottle-shaped snout, with a crease where it meets the forehead

Fun fact

Highly social, with pods that stay tightly knit. Mass strandings are common, and scientists suspect they happen because the leading animal falls ill or loses its way and the rest refuse to abandon it.

More in this family

• Chinese White Dolphin
• Common Dolphin
• Spinner Dolphin
• Striped Dolphin