Cetaceans

Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)

The Pygmy Sperm Whale is not often observed at sea since it is mainly found far away from shore. It is likely to be confused with the Dwarf Sperm Whale, in fact, they were not recognized as two separate species until 1966. When frightened, the Pygmy Sperm Whale releases a reddish brown intestinal fluid, leaving a dense cloud in the water which may work as a decoy. It is one of the smallest whales, growing up to 3,4m(11¼ft), which is not much larger than many dolphins. The Pygmy Sperm Whales are known to be solitary but they have been observed in groups consisting of up to six individuals.

Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

Cuvier’s beaked whale seems to be one of the most abundant of the otherwise little known beaked whales. It is seldom sighted close to mainland shores and is known mostly from strandings. Cuvier’s beaked whale appears to be quite cosmopolitan, with broad range in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. No two individuals look the same because of the great variation in colour, which vary according to location, age and sex.

Rough-toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanensis)

The Rough-toothed dolphin is rarely seen and little is known about it. Its head is uniquely shaped with the long beak blending into the forehead, lacking the crease of other dolphins with prominent beaks. Its common name comes from the vertical wrinkles running down the dolphin’s teeth.

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

The Minke whale is the smallest of the rorqual whales, reaching up to 10m(33ft) in length. It can be found worldwide, but mostly in cooler waters. Its appearance varies a lot and some authorities recognize as much as three supspecies which are geographically isolated in the North Pacific, North Atlantic and the southern hemisphere.

Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

The Harbour porpoise is one of the smallest of the marine mammals. It stays close to the coast and river estuaries and often embarks up rivers, sometimes being found hundreds of miles away from the ocean. The Harbour porpoise is hunted by White sharks and Orcas. Outside the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland, it is sometimes attacked and killed by Bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins however do not kill the porpoises to eat them, but due to competition over food as both species’ diets consists mainly of small fish.

Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)

The Bowhead whale, also called the Greenland right whale or the Arctic whale, lives solely in fertile Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. It is the only one of the large whales which lives entirely in the Arctic. The Bowhead whale has no dorsal fin and it is named for its humongous head with which it breaks the ice to make holes when it needs to go up for air. It has the longest baleen (growing up to 3m (10ft)) of all baleen whales. It is one of the longest of the large cetaceans, reaching a length of up to 20m (66ft), which makes it second only to the Blue whale.