Natural History Notes
Atlantic pilot whales may occur in herds of 200 animals or more, though herds of 50 or fewer (4-6) are more common. They are sometimes found in association with Atlantic white-sided dolphins.
Pilot whales are sometimes found hanging vertically in the water with the head and part of the back out of the water in what has been called "spy-hopping" or "pitchpoling." Individuals frequently lobtail. Pilot whales infrequently breach, a behavior which is usually confined to younger animals. They do not ride bow waves.
Atlantic pilot whales feed primarily on squid but also take cod and other fishes. A Pacific pilot whale, a closely related species, was found by radio telemetric studies to be capable of diving to 2,000 feet (609.6 m).
Atlantic pilot whales were formerly the object of an active shore fishery off Newfoundland (1950-1971). In addition, entire herds and, less frequently, individuals are sometimes stranded.
May Be Confused With
Atlantic pilot whales are most likely to be confused with false killer whales, with which they share the waters from off Virginia to those off Maryland. The two species may be distinguished by the following characteristics:
| Atlantic Pilot Whale | False Killer Whale |
|---|---|
| SHAPE OF HEAD | |
| Thick and often squarish inlarger animals. | Slender, gently taperingmouth long. |
| SHAPE OF BODY | |
| Robust. | Long and slender. |
| DORSAL FIN | |
| Broad-based and falcate. | Slender, tall, falcate, andpointed on tip. |
| COLORATION | |
| Black with gray saddlesometimes evident behinddorsal fin and gray regionon chin and belly. | Mostly black with gray blazeof variable extent andintensity on belly betweenflippers. |
| BEHAVIOR | |
| Will not ride bow waves;seldom breaches. | May ride bow waves, often"porpoises" and breaches. |
| RANGE | |
| Temperate waters from atleast North Carolina north. | Temperate seas from at leastMaryland south. |
In the extreme southern portion of their range, Atlantic pilot whales may be confused with short-finned pilot whales with which they have only a limited seasonal common range. Characters distinguishing these species are subtle and may not be adequate to permit them to be distinguished at sea. For purposes of this guide it is generally that pilot whales living north of lat. 38°N (Virginia coast) are Atlantic pilot whales and those living south of lat. 38°N are short-finned pilot whales.