Though short-finned pilot whales are known from Delaware Bay, their normal range appears to extend from Bermuda and Cape Hatteras (Virginia in summer) south to the Venezuelan coast. They have been reported for the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the islands of the West Indies.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded short-finned pilot whales may be confused with any of the species itemized under living animals. They may be identified as pilot whales primarily by the robust body and bulbous head, often squarish in adult animals, and the broad-based, falcate dorsal fin located well forward on the animal's back. Accurate determination of the pilot whale species involved may require museum preparation of the skull and detailed examination of its characteristics. Preliminary identification may be made, however, on the basis of the following:

Atlantic Pilot WhaleShort-Finned Pilot Whale
DISTRIBUTION
Primarily North Carolinanorth.Primarily North Carolinasouth.
FLIPPERS
To one-fifth body length,or more.To less than one-sixth bodylength.
TEETH
8-11 per row.7-9 per row.

Figure 101.—Short-finned pilot whales have from 7 to 10 teeth in each side of each jaw. The bulbous forehead of the species is far less pronounced in females and immature males ([left]). The head of mature males is extremely "squarish" and may overhang the lower jaw by several inches ([right]). (Photos from Aquatarium [left] and southeastern Florida by D. K. Caldwell [right].)