Pilot whales are actually dolphins (in a group known as
blackfish) but are also classed as “toothed whales”. They feed mainly on
octopus and squid.
They are related to orcas (killer whales) but are smaller at
around seven metres in length. They have rounded heads and small beaks. The
body is grey or dark brown and the dorsal fin is swept back.
There are two distinct species of pilot whale, namely
short-finned and long-finned. Short-finned pilot whales are found in tropical
and sub-tropical waters whereas the long-finned variety lives in much colder
seas both north and south.
Pilot whales form close-knit family groups known as pods,
with female members never leaving the pod they were born in. They feed their
young for several years and also care for the offspring of their sisters and
daughters.
The close bonds formed by pilot whales can lead to disaster.
Should the leader of a pod become disorientated for any reason and beach
itself, the rest of the pod is quite likely to follow suit. Pilot whales were
formerly hunted extensively, with whalers finding it relatively easy to corral
a whole pod and force them ashore.
© John Welford
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