General Description

Dark brownish-grey to black. A light grey patch behind the dorsal fin and a light grey stripe above the eye extending towards the dorsal region. Rounded head. Very long and slender flippers. Up to 6.7 m long.

Biology

Long-finned Pilot Whales are very social and live in pods of 20 to 100 individuals. Breeding occurs throughout the year and females give birth to a single offspring every four years. Recent study suggests that at least two different species of Long-finned Pilot Whales exist, one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere.

Habitat

Temperate and subpolar zones, to depths greater than 300 m.

Open water

Distribution guide

Temperate to Antarctic waters. Southern Australia. Potentially near Port Phillip, recorded from Victoria.

Species Group

Mammals › Whales and dolphins

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

Surface Midwater

Max Size

6.7 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

• CITES : Trade restrictions (Appendix II)
• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Data Deficient