Pilot Whale (Short-finned)

About the Pilot Whale (Short-finned)

Among the most social cetaceans, living in stable family groups of 15-50. They are the most common species involved in mass strandings, possibly following a sick leader. They are actually large dolphins, not whales. They can dive to 1,000 meters. They have been observed harassing sperm whales. Their melon-shaped head contains fatty tissue used for echolocation. They are hunted in the Faroe Islands in controversial drive hunts killing hundreds annually. They can live 60+ years. Females go through menopause, one of few mammals to do so.