- Body to at least 23 feet (7 m) long.
- Body from dark gray or brown to rust or fawn and splotched with white; eyes dark.
- Head of large males white.
- Back frequently scarred with numerous scratches, presumably tooth marks.
- Dorsal fin falcate and distinct, in last one-third of back.
- Distribution primarily tropical; extends to temperate.
- Flukes light beneath, sometimes shallowly notched; often raised on dive.
All other western North Atlantic beaked whales
Mesoplodon spp.
p. [74]
- Body to 16-22 feet (4.9-6.7 m) long.
- Body color black to dark gray.
- Back frequently scarred.
- Dorsal fin position varies with species.
- Distribution varies with species.
- Flukes not usually distinctly notched.
Killer whale
Orcinus orca
p. [84]
- Body to at least 30 feet (9.1 m) long.
- Body black with sharply demarcated white belly and oval white patch above and behind eye; gray saddle behind dorsal fin.
- Body chunky.
- Dorsal fin in males can be very tall, sometimes 6 feet (1.8 m).
- Dorsal fin in females and immature animals up to 3 feet (0.9 m), distinctly falcate.
- Distributed from tropics to Arctic; most common in colder waters.
- Often seen in shallow bays and rivers and near shore.
- Flukes may be raised on dive.
False killer whale
Pseudorca crassidens
p. [88]
- Body to at least 18 feet (5.5 m) long.
- Body black (faint gray blaze on belly between flippers).
- Body slender.
- Head small, tapering.
- Large prominent teeth frequently visible at sea.
- Flippers have distinct hump on leading edge.
- Dorsal fin to 14 inches (35.6 cm), falcate, and from rounded to pointed on tip.
- Distribution pelagic tropical to warm temperate seas.
- Frequently ride bow waves.
Atlantic pilot whale
Globicephala melaena
p. [91]
- Body to at least 22 feet (6.7 m) long.
- Body black with light gray, anchor-shaped area on chest; gray saddle sometimes seen behind dorsal fin.
- Head becoming more bulbous with age, somewhat squarish in adult males viewed from above.
- Tail humped.
- Flippers long (to one-fifth of body length), sickle-shaped.
- Dorsal fin broad-based, falcate to flaglike, in front half of back.
- Distribution primarily north temperate—about Hatteras north.
- Flukes not usually raised on dive.
Short-finned pilot whale
Globicephala macrorhynchus
p. [94]