2. Note also any distinctive features of body shape and colo_Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic

Produced by Chris Curnow, Simon Gardner, Joseph Cooper and

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Transcriber's Notes:

This is a Plain Text Version. It uses the Latin-1 Character set, but

note that the only non-ASCII character used is the degree symbol.

Italic typeface in the original is indicated with _underscores_. Bold

typeface in the original is indicated with UPPER CASE.

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* * * * *

NOAA Technical Report NMFS CIRC-396

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic

A Guide to Their Identification

STEPHEN LEATHERWOOD, DAVID K. CALDWELL,

and HOWARD E. WINN

with special assistance by

William E. Schevill and Melba C. Caldwell

SEATTLE, WA

AUGUST 1976

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary

/ NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

/ ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

/ Robert M. White, Administrator

/ National Marine

/ Fisheries Service

/ Robert W. Schoning, Director

[Illustration: NOAA logo]

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402

Stock No. 003-020-00119-0 / Catalog No. C 55.13: NMFS CIRC-396

PREFACE

In March 1972, the Naval Undersea Center (NUC), San Diego, Calif. in

cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Tiburon,

Calif. published a photographic field guide--_The Whales, Dolphins and

Porpoises of the Eastern North Pacific. A Guide to Their Identification

in the Water_, by S. Leatherwood, W.E. Evans, and D.W. Rice (NUC TP

282). This guide was designed to assist the layman in identifying the

cetaceans he encountered in that area and was intended for use in two

ongoing whale observer programs, NUC's Whale Watch and NMFS's Platforms

of Opportunity. The rationale of these programs was that since

oceanographers, commercial and sport fishermen, naval personnel,

commercial seamen, pleasure boaters, and coastal aircraft pilots

together canvas large areas of the oceans which scientists specializing

in whales (cetologists) have time and funds to survey only occasionally,

training those persons in species identification and asking them to

report their sightings back to central data centers could help

scientists more clearly understand distribution, migration, and seasonal

variations in abundance of cetacean species. For such a program to work,

a usable field guide is a requisite. Because the many publications on

the whales, dolphins, and porpoises of this region were either too

technical in content or too limited in geographical area or species

covered to be of use in field identification, and because conventional

scientific or taxonomic groupings of the animals are often not helpful

in field identification, the photographic field guide took a different

approach. Instead of being placed into their scientific groups, species

were grouped together on the basis of similarities in appearance during

the brief encounters typical at sea. Photographs of the animals in their

natural environment, supplemented by drawings and descriptions or tables

distinguishing the most similar species, formed the core of the guide.

Despite deficiencies in the first effort and the inherent difficulties

of positively identifying many of the cetacean species at sea, the

results obtained from the programs have been encouraging. Many seafarers

who had previously looked with disinterest or ignorance on the animals

they encountered became good critical observers and found pleasure in

the contribution they were making. The potential for the expansion of

such observer programs is enormous.

Because of these initial successes and the large number of requests for

packets from persons working at sea off the Atlantic coast of North

America, this guide was planned. Many of the errors and deficiencies of

the Pacific Guide have been corrected, and the discussions of the ranges

of many of the species have been expanded with considerations of the

major oceanographic factors affecting their distribution and movements.

While the present volume, like the Pacific Guide, is intended as an aid

to the identification of living animals at sea, new materials have been

provided to aid in the identification and reporting of stranded

specimens, a major source of data and study material for museums. This

new dimension is expected to assist the U.S. National Museum, various

regional museums, and other researchers actively collecting cetacean

materials for display and study in the implementation of their stranded

animal salvage programs. Through a cooperative effort of this kind, the

best possible use can be made of all materials that become available.

As a part of continuing research, this guide will be revised whenever

possible. Suggestions for its improvement will at all times be welcome.

* * * * *

Funds for the preparation of this guide were provided by a grant to

Stephen Leatherwood from the Platforms of Opportunity Program, National

Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, Tiburon, Calif., Paul Sund, Coordinator.

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Classification of cetaceans 1

Dolphin or porpoise 5

Organization of the guide 5

How to use the guide 7

To identify animals at sea 7

To identify stranded animals 7

To record and report information 7

Directory to species accounts:

Large whales:

With a dorsal fin 10

Without dorsal fin 13

Medium-sized whales:

With a dorsal fin 14

Without dorsal fin 15

Small whales, dolphins, and porpoises with a dorsal fin 16

Species accounts:

Large whales with a dorsal fin:

Blue whale 19

Fin whale 26

Sei whale 32

Bryde's whale 37

Humpback whale 40

Large whales without dorsal fin:

Bowhead whale 49

Right whale 52

Sperm whale 57

Medium-sized whales with a dorsal fin:

Minke whale 63

Northern bottlenosed whale 67

Goosebeaked whale 70

Other beaked whales 74

True's beaked whale 77

Antillean beaked whale 78

Dense-beaked whale 80

North Sea beaked whale 82

Killer whale 84

False killer whale 88

Atlantic pilot whale 91

Short-finned pilot whale 94

Grampus 96

Medium-sized whales without dorsal fin:

Beluga 99

Narwhal 102

Small whales, dolphins, and porpoises with a dorsal fin:

Atlantic spotted dolphin 104

Bridled dolphin 108

Spinner dolphin 110

Striped dolphin 113

Saddleback dolphin 116

Fraser's dolphin 120

Atlantic white-sided dolphin 123

White-beaked dolphin 126

Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin 128

Guiana dolphin 132

Rough-toothed dolphin 135

Pygmy killer whale 138

Many-toothed blackfish 142

Pygmy sperm whale 144

Dwarf sperm whale 148

Harbor porpoise 150

Acknowledgments 152

Selected bibliography 152

Appendix A, Tags on whales, dolphins, and porpoises 154

Appendix B, Recording and reporting observations of cetaceans

at sea 160

Appendix C, Stranded whales, dolphins, and porpoises; with a key

to the identification of stranded cetaceans of the western

North Atlantic 163

Appendix D, Recording and reporting data on stranded cetaceans 169

Appendix E, List of institutions to contact regarding stranded

cetaceans 171

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve,

recommend or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material

mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS,

or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or

sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NMFS approves,

recommends or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary

material mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an intent to

cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or

purchased because of this NMFS publication.

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic

A Guide to Their Identification

STEPHEN LEATHERWOOD,[1] DAVID K. CALDWELL,[2] and HOWARD E. WINN[3]

with special assistance by

William E. Schevill[4] and Melba C. Caldwell[2]

[Footnote 1: Biomedical Division, Undersea Sciences Department, Naval

Undersea Center, San Diego, CA 92132.]

[Footnote 2: Biocommunication and Marine Mammal Research Facility, C. V.

Whitney Marine Research Laboratory of the University of Florida, St.

Augustine, FL 32084.]

[Footnote 3: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode

Island, Kingston, RI 02881.]

[Footnote 4: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543

and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

02138.]

ABSTRACT

This field guide is designed to permit observers to identify the

cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) they see in the western

North Atlantic, including the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the

coastal waters of the United States and Canada. The animals described

are grouped not by scientific relationships but by similarities in

appearance in the field. Photographs of the animals in their natural

environment are the main aids to identification.

A dichotomized key is provided to aid in identification of stranded

cetaceans and appendices describe how and to whom to report data on live

and dead cetaceans.

INTRODUCTION

All whales, dolphins, and porpoises belong to an order or major

scientific group called the Cetacea by scientists. They are all mammals

(air-breathing animals which have hair in at least some stage of their

development, maintain a constant body temperature, bear their young

alive, and nurse them for a while) which have undergone extensive

changes in body form (anatomy) and function (physiology) to cope with a

life spent entirely in the water. The breathing aperture(s), called a

blowhole or blowholes, has (have) migrated to the top of the head to

facilitate breathing while swimming; the forward appendages have become

flippers; the hind appendages have nearly disappeared, they remain only

as small traces of bone deeply imbedded in the muscles. Propulsion is

provided by fibrous, horizontally flattened tail flukes.

Scientists recognize two suborders of living cetaceans: the whalebone

whales, suborder Mysticeti, and the toothed whales, suborder Odontoceti.

The two groups are separated in the following ways:

BALEEN OR WHALEBONE WHALES. These animals are called whalebone whales

because when fully formed instead of teeth they have up to 800 or more

plates of baleen or whalebone depending from the roof of the mouth. They

use these plates to strain their food, which consists of "krill"

(primarily small crustaceans) and/or small schooling fish, by taking

water into the mouth and forcing it out through the overlapping fringes

of the baleen plates. Baleen whales are externally distinguishable from

toothed whales by having paired blowholes. There are eight species of

baleen whales in the western North Atlantic, ranging in size from the

minke whale (just over 30 feet [about 9.1 m])[5] to the blue whale (85

feet [25.9 m]).

[Footnote 5: Throughout this guide, measurements are given first in feet

or inches, followed in parentheses by their equivalents in meters or

centimeters. It is recognized that field estimates cannot be as precise

as most of the conversions used.]

TOOTHED WHALES. Unlike the baleen whales, the toothed whales do have

teeth after birth. The teeth vary in number from 2 to over 250, though

they may sometimes be concealed beneath the gum. In addition, toothed

whales have only a single blowhole. This group includes the animals

commonly called dolphin or porpoise as well as some commonly called

whales (for example, the sperm whale). There are currently about 30

species of toothed whales known from the western North Atlantic, ranging

in maximum adult size from the common or harbor porpoise, which is

approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) long, up to the sperm whale which reaches a

length of 68 feet (20.7 m). Several other species which are expected to

be found in this region, though they have not yet been reported, are

also included in this guide.

CLASSIFICATION OF CETACEANS

In addition to the two suborders (Mysticeti and Odontoceti), the

cetacean order contains numerous families, genera, and species. Each of

these groupings represents a progressively more specialized division of

the animals into categories on the basis of similarities in their

skulls, postcranial skeletons, and external characteristics. The

discipline which concerns itself with naming an animal and assigning it

to its appropriate scientific category is known as taxonomy. An example

of the classification of a cetacean species is shown in the following:

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE

ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSED DOLPHIN

Kingdom: Animalia all animals

Phylum: Chordata having at some stage a notochord,

the precursor of the backbone

Subphylum: Vertebrata animals with backbones--fishes,

amphibians, reptiles, birds,

and mammals

Class: Mammalia animals that suckle their young

Order: Cetacea carnivorous, wholly aquatic

mammals: whales, including

dolphins and porpoises

Suborder: Odontoceti toothed whales as distinguished

from Mysticeti, the baleen whales

Family: Delphinidae dolphins

Genus: Tursiops bottlenosed dolphins

Species: truncatus Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin

Modern taxonomy had its origin with the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus,

whose tenth edition of the _Systema Naturae_ in 1758 forms the official

starting point. Following Linnaeus, modern scientific names consist of

two words, a generic name, which has an initial capital, and a species

name, which rarely does, occasionally in botany (some species names

deriving from a person's name are capitalized). Both names are usually

of Latin origin (sometimes Greek) and are italicized or underlined.

These scientific names are of particular importance because, although

common names of species often are different in different countries or

even in different regions of the same country, the scientific name

remains the same. For example, the right whale is universally known as

_Eubalaena glacialis_ though its common names include black right whale,

nordcaper, sletbag, Biscay whale, and Biscayan right whale.

Although classification of many species is still in a state of flux, the

classification of western North Atlantic cetaceans followed in this

guide is as follows:

Page of

synoptic account

of the species

Order Cetacea

Suborder Mysticeti--Baleen whales

Family Balaenopteridae--Rorquals

_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_ Lacepede 1804 Minke whale 63

_Balaenoptera physalus_ (Linnaeus 1758) Fin whale 26

_Balaenoptera musculus_ (Linnaeus 1758) Blue whale 19

_Balaenoptera borealis_ Lesson 1828 Sei whale 32

_Balaenoptera edeni_ Anderson 1879 Bryde's whale 37

_Megaptera novaeangliae_ (Borowski 1781) Humpback whale 40

Family Balaenidae--Right whales

_Balaena mysticetus_ Linnaeus 1758 Bowhead whale 49

_Eubalaena glacialis_ (Borowski 1781) Right whale 52

Suborder Odontoceti--Toothed whales

Family Ziphiidae

_Mesoplodon bidens_ (Sowerby 1804) North Sea

beaked whale 82

_Mesoplodon densirostris_ (Blainville in Dense-beaked

Desmarest 1817) whale 80

_Mesoplodon europaeus_ (Gervais 1855) Antillean beaked whale 78

_Mesoplodon mirus_ True 1913 True's beaked whale 77

_Ziphius cavirostris_ G. Cuvier 1823 Goosebeaked whale 70

_Hyperoodon ampullatus_ (Forster 1770) Northern bottlenosed

whale 67

Family Physeteridae

_Physeter catodon_ Linnaeus 1758 Sperm whale 57

_Kogia breviceps_ (Blainville 1838) Pygmy sperm whale 144

_Kogia simus_ (Owen 1866) Dwarf sperm whale 148

Family Monodontidae

_Monodon monoceros_ Linnaeus 1758 Narwhal 102

_Delphinapterus leucas_ (Pallas 1776) Beluga 99

Family Stenidae

_Steno bredanensis_ (G. Cuvier in Rough-toothed dolphin 135

Lesson 1828)

_Sotalia guianensis_ (P. J. van Guiana dolphin 132

Beneden 1864)

Family Delphinidae

_Peponocephala electra_ (Gray 1846) Many-toothed blackfish 142

_Feresa attenuata_ Gray 1874 Pygmy killer whale 138

_Pseudorca crassidens_ (Owen 1846) False killer whale 88

_Globicephala melaena_ (Traill 1809) Atlantic pilot whale 91

_Globicephala Gray 1846 Short-finned pilot whale 94

macrorhynchus_

_Orcinus orca_ (Linnaeus 1758) Killer whale 84

_Lagenorhynchus Gray 1846 White-beaked dolphin 126

albirostris_

_Lagenorhynchus acutus_ (Gray 1828) Atlantic white-sided

dolphin 123

_Lagenodelphis hosei_ Fraser 1956 Fraser's dolphin 120

_Tursiops truncatus_ (Montagu 1821) Bottlenosed dolphin 128

_Grampus griseus_ (G. Cuvier 1812) Grampus 96

_Stenella longirostris_ Gray 1828 Spinner dolphin 110

_Stenella frontalis_ (G. Cuvier 1829) Bridled dolphin 108

_Stenella coeruleoalba_ (Meyen 1833) Striped dolphin 113

_Stenella plagiodon_ (Cope 1866) Spotted dolphin 104

_Delphinus delphis_ Linnaeus 1758 Saddleback dolphin 116

Family Phocoenidae

_Phocoena phocoena_ (Linnaeus 1758) Harbor porpoise 150

This tentative classification follows an unpublished list by W.E.

Schevill and E.M. Mitchell currently under review. The scientific names

are followed by the name of the individual who named the species and the

year of naming, and then by the common name most often used in the

western North Atlantic.[6] It may be noted that some of the authors are

in parentheses. This indicates that though the species name has remained

the same since the date of naming the species has since been assigned to

another genus. Because the species are not arranged in taxonomic order

in this field guide, the page of the synoptic account of each is

provided in the column to the right.

[Footnote 6: Most common names are based on some characteristic of the

species (e.g., spotted dolphin, striped dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin);

others are the names of authors of the species (e.g., True's beaked

whale) or of habitats or macrohabitats which they inhabit (e.g., North

Sea beaked whale and harbor porpoise); the origins of some common names,

however, are less obvious (e.g., dense-beaked whale), and of less use in

field references.]

[Illustration: Figure 1.--The western North Atlantic, from lat.

35 deg.N-65 deg.N.]

[Illustration: Figure 2.--The western North Atlantic, from lat. 37 deg.N

south to eastern Venezuela.]

[Illustration: Figure 3.--A baleen whale (humpback) showing the main

body parts referred to in the text.]

[Illustration: Figure 4.--A fin whale in the North Atlantic with the

paired blowholes open during respiration. The paired blowholes

distinguish this animal as a baleen whale. (_Photo by W. A. Watkins._)]

DOLPHIN OR PORPOISE

There is still considerable controversy over the correct usage of the

terms dolphin and porpoise. As mentioned in the preceding section,

common names of any species may vary from locale to locale and even from

individual to individual. Some persons argue for the use of the term

porpoise for all small cetaceans. Others insist on the term dolphin.

Still others either randomly use the terms or call members of the family

Delphinidae dolphins and members of the family Phocoenidae porpoises.

The evidence supporting any one of these positions is confusing at best

and no usage of terms appears to be without problems. We see no wholly

satisfactory resolution to the problem at this time. For all these

reasons, we have little desire to defend our decision to follow the last

of these practices in this guide, referring to all members of the family

Delphinidae for which the term dolphin or porpoise appears in the common

name as dolphins, and to the one member of the family Phocoenidae

represented in the western North Atlantic, _Phocoena phocoena_, as the

harbor porpoise. Although all cetaceans may be regarded as whales, the

term "whale" most commonly applies to the larger animals. For all

species treated, other common names by which they may be known are also

listed.

Detailed treatment of the relative merits of the various terminologies

is inappropriate here. Furthermore, it is our opinion that the usage of

the terms dolphin, porpoise, and whale as part of the common names of

cetaceans is largely a matter of personal preference.

ORGANIZATION OF THE GUIDE

The differences between baleen and toothed whales are easy enough to see

in animals washed up on the beach or maintained in a tank at a zoo or

aquarium. But since an animal at sea can seldom be examined that

closely, its most obvious characteristics may be its overall size, the

presence or absence of a dorsal fin, its prominent coloration or

markings, its general behavior, or its swimming, blowing, and diving

characteristics. For that reason, regardless of their scientific

relationships, all the whales, dolphins, and the one porpoise covered in

the main text of this guide are divided into three groups. Those over 40

feet (12.2 m) long are discussed in the section on Large Whales, those

from 13 to 40 feet (4.0 to 12.2 m) in the Medium-Sized Whale, and those

less than 13 feet (4.0 m) in the Small Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoise

(with a dorsal fin). There are no small whales, dolphins, or porpoises

in this region without a dorsal fin. Each section is further divided

into those animals with a dorsal fin and those without. From that point,

animals likely to be confused in the field are grouped together and the

important differences between them are discussed.

The synoptic accounts of the species are followed by five appendices:

Appendix A discusses and illustrates man-made and applied tags and

natural markings on cetaceans and their importance in studies of natural

history. Appendix B discusses the data which are most important to

record in observations of cetaceans at sea, gives examples, and provides

blank sighting forms. Appendix C discusses possible causes of cetacean

strandings and the manner in which stranded animals should be handled

and adds a key and tables to aid in identifying stranded cetaceans.

Appendix D provides guidelines for collecting data on stranded cetaceans

and provides forms and specific instructions for taking standard

measurements. Appendix E lists institutions to be contacted in the event

of a cetacean stranding or for information.

A bibliography of useful references on cetaceans in general and

cetaceans of this region in particular and a directory to species

accounts are included.

[Illustration: Figure 5.--A humpback whale lying on its left side on the

deck of a Canadian whaling station. Note the fringes of baleen suspended

from the roof of the mouth. (_Photo by J. G. Mead_.)]

[Illustration: Figure 6.--Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin mother and calf

from northeastern Florida. Note the single open blowhole, a

characteristic that marks these animals as toothed whales. (_Photo

courtesy of Marineland of Florida._)]

[Illustration: Figure 7.--The open mouth of an Atlantic bottlenosed

dolphin from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. All toothed whales have

teeth, which are used primarily for grasping rather than for chewing.

The number varies from 2 to over 250, though they are buried beneath the

gums in females and immature animals of several species, take peculiar

form in one (narwhal), and are extensively worn in others. (_Photo by D.

K. Caldwell._)]

HOW TO USE THE GUIDE

To Identify Animals at Sea

The three major sections of the guide (i.e., large, medium, and small

whales) are preceded by a directory to species accounts, which is a

summary of the most obvious characteristics of each species and in which

summary statements about each characteristic are arranged in parallel

order. To use the guide to identify living animals observed at sea, a

person or persons should:

1. First estimate the animal's size and determine whether or not it has

a dorsal fin.

2. Note also any distinctive features of body shape and coloration and

observe its general behavior, including swimming, blowing, and diving

characteristics. It should be noted that coloration may vary somewhat at

sea, depending on light conditions and water clarity. For example,

animals which appear dark gray or black at the surface or when dead may

appear brown in good light or when submerged. Making a brief sketch at

this point may aid in identifying the animal or in later recalling its

distinctive features.

3. Using the directory, locate the section to which the animal probably

belongs.

4. Then, for more detailed information, consult the section indicated.

There you will find a more complete discussion of the animal's range,

size, and distinctive characteristics. In addition, you will find a

brief discussion distinguishing it from animals with which it is likely

to be confused in the field.

* * * * *

This guide will probably work best if, in advance of attempting to use

the key in the field, the reader will familiarize himself with the

general outline, with characters or behaviors to note, and with the

locations of the various species accounts. It will also help if he

schools himself to ask a series of questions about the animal(s) he sees

at the time of the encounter rather than depending on his recall at a

later time (see p. 160). As we have emphasized several times in this

guide, positive identification of cetaceans at sea can only occasionally

be made on the basis of a single characteristic. Therefore, the greater

the amount of pertinent evidence an observer obtains, the greater the

likelihood he can make a reliable identification.

To Identify Stranded Animals

Stranded animals can best be identified by referring to Appendix C and

its associated tables, making a preliminary determination and then

consulting the species accounts in the main body of the book for

verification of the identification. As noted in that appendix, if the

animal is recently stranded, identification can be made using any of the

externally visible characteristics described for the living species at

sea. But even if the animal is in an advanced stage of decomposition, it

can usually be identified by referring to the key and to the numbers and

descriptions of baleen plates, for all baleen whales, and the numbers

and relative lengths of ventral grooves, for all balaenopterine whales

(Table 1), or to the tables on the numbers and descriptions of teeth,

for toothed whales (Table 2).

To Record and Report Information

As discussed in the preface, though learning to identify the whales,

dolphins, and porpoises one sees may be exciting in itself, many persons

may want to participate in the accumulation of data on these interesting

animals by routinely reporting their observations to scientists who are

actively studying them and who can make immediate use of the

information. The following may help these persons:

Suggestions for making and recording observations of cetaceans at sea

and sample data forms are included in Appendix C. Similar suggestions

for taking and recording data on stranded cetaceans are included in

Appendix D. For both types of data, blank data forms located after the

appendices may be photocopied in bulk for use in the field.

Completed data forms and all associated information for sightings at sea

should be forwarded to the Platforms of Opportunity Program, National

Marine Fisheries Service, Tiburon, CA 94920, or to one of the authors of

this guide. From there, they will be made available to scientists

actively studying the cetaceans of a given species or geographical area.

Completed data forms and all associated information for observations of

stranded cetaceans should be forwarded to the Division of Mammals, U.S.

National Museum, Washington, DC 20560, to one of the authors of this

guide, or to one of the regional laboratories listed in Appendix E.

These persons have, in turn, been encouraged to keep a free flow of

information among them.

Table 1. Ranges in Numbers of Teeth in Each Upper and Lower Jaw of

Western North Atlantic Odontocetes.

[P] = Page of species account

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | |Ranges in |

| | | tooth

| | | counts |

| Species | |-----+-----|

--------------------+----------------+---+-----+-----+------------------------

Sperm whale |_Physeter_ | 57| 0 |18-25|Ten to sixteen upper

Northern |_Hyperoodon_ | 67| 0 | 2(2)|At tip of lower jaw;

Goosebeaked whale |_Ziphius_ | 70| 0 | 2[A]|At tip of lower jaw.[B]

True's beaked whale |_Mesoplodon_ | 77| 0 | 2[A]|At tip of lower jaw.[B]

Antillean beaked |_Mesoplodon_ | 78| 0 | 2[A]|At suture of mandible.

Dense-beaked whale |_Mesoplodon_ | 80| 0 | 2[A]|On prominences near

North Sea beaked |_Mesoplodon_ | 82| 0 | 2[A]|About halfway from

Killer whale |_Orcinus orca_ | 84|10-12|10-12|Prominent; curved and

False killer whale |_Pseudorca_ | 88| 8-11| 8-11|Prominent; pointed

Atlantic pilot whale|_Globicephala_ | 91| 8-10| 8-10| -- --

Short-finned pilot |_Globicephala_ | 94| 7-9 | 7-9 | -- --

Grampus |_Grampus_ | 96| 0 | 0-7 |Near front of jaw;

Beluga |_Delphinapterus_| 99| 8-11| 8-9 | -- --

Narwhal |_Monodon_ |102| 2 | 0[A]|One (rarely both)

Spotted dolphin |_Stenella_ |104|30-36|28-35| -- --

Bridled dolphin |_Stenella_ |108|29-34|33-36| -- --

Spinner dolphin |_Stenella_ |110|46-65|46-65| -- --

Striped dolphin |_Stenella_ |113|43-50|43-50| -- --

Saddleback dolphin |_Delphinus_ |116|40-50|40-50| -- --

Fraser's dolphin |_Lagenodelphis_ |120|38-44|38-44| -- --

Atlantic white-sided|_Lagenorhynchus_|123|30-40|30-40|Some specimens have

White-beaked dolphin|_Lagenorhynchus_|126|22-28|22-28| -- --

Atlantic bottlenosed|_Tursiops_ |128|20-26|18-24| -- --

Guiana dolphin |_Sotalia_ |132|26-35|26-35| -- --

Rough-toothed |_Steno_ |135|20-27|20-27|Crown is sometimes

Pygmy killer whale |_Feresa_ |138| 8-13|10-13|Many specimens have.

Many-toothed |_Peponocephala_ |142|22-25|21-24| -- --

Pygmy sperm whale |_Kogia_ |144| 0 |12-16|Rarely 10 or 11;

Dwarf sperm whale |_Kogia simus_ |148| 0-3 | 8-11|Rarely 13; curved

Harbor porpoise |_Phocoena_ |150|22-28|22-28|Spade shaped, laterally

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Footnote A: Usually erupted from gums only in adult [MALES].]

[Footnote B: May have toothpick size vestigial teeth in either jaw.]

Table 2. Body Size; Numbers, Maximum Dimensions and Descriptions of

Baleen Plates; and Numbers and Relative Lengths of Ventral Grooves of W.

N. Atlantic Mysticetes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | | | |-------------------|

| |Page of| body |baleen |----+----+----+----|

common name |scientific name|account| ft(m) | side | in.| cm | in.| cm |

-------------+---------------+-------+---------+--------+----+----+----+----|

Blue whale |Balaenoptera | 19 |85 (26.0)|270-395 | 33"| 84| 12"| 30 |

Fin whale |Balaenoptera | 26 |79 (24.0)|262-473 | 29"| 72| 12"| 30 |

Sei whale |Balaenoptera | 32 |62 (19.0)|318-340 | 31"| 78| 15"| 39 |

Bryde's whale|Balaenoptera | 37 |46 (14.0)|250-300?| 17"| 42| 10"| 24 |

Humpback |Megaptera | 40 |53 (16.0)|270-400 | 24"| 60| 5"| 13 |

Bowhead whale|Balaena | 49 |65 (19.8)|325-360 | 14'| 414| 14"| 36 |

Right whale |Eubalaena | 52 |53 (16.0)|250-390 |7.3'| 223| 12"| 30 |

Minke whale |Balaenoptera | 63 |31 (10.0)|300-325 | 8"| 21| 4"| 10|

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

| |Mean No.|Numbers |

| | of | of |

Species | |bristles|ventral | Relative lengths

common name | Color of baleen | /cm. |grooves |of ventral grooves

--------------+------------------------+--------+---------+------------------

Blue whale |All black with black | 10-30 | 55-88 |At least to navel.

| bristles. | | |

Fin whale |Dark gray to bluish | 10-35 | 56-100 |At least to navel.

| gray; one-fifth to | | |

| one-third of right | | |

| front is whitish. | | |

Sei whale |Ash black with blue | 35-60 | 38-56 |End far short of

| tinge and fine, light | | | navel.

| bristles; some near | | |

| front may be light. | | |

Bryde's whale |Slate gray with dark | 15-35 | 40-50 |At least to navel.

| bristles. | | |

Humpback whale|Ash black to olive | 10-35 | 14-22 |At least to navel.

| brown; sometimes | | |

| whitish; bristles | | |

| grayish white. | | |

Bowhead whale |Black; anterior | ? | None | XX

| side of some is | | present.|

| whitish; bristles | | |

| black. | | |

Right whale |Dirty or yellowish gray;| 35-70 | None | XX

| some anterior plates | | present.|

| all or part white. | | |

Minke whale |White to yellowish | 15-25 | 50-70 |End short of

| white. Posterior plates| | | navel; often just

| may be brown or black. | | | behind flippers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Footnote C: As stated in the Index to the species, these figures

represent maximum sizes recorded for the W. N. Atlantic. For all species

exploited by whaling industries' current maximum sizes will be

substantially smaller than these figures (see species accounts).]

DIRECTORY TO SPECIES ACCOUNTS

LARGE WHALES

(40-85 feet [12-26 m] maximum overall length)

With a Dorsal Fin

All five species of large whales with a dorsal fin belong to the same

major baleen whale group, the balaenopterid whales or rorquals. All are

characterized by the presence of a series of ventral grooves, usually

visible on stranded specimens and the length and number of which are

diagnostic to species. In addition, all species, with the exception of

the humpback whale, have at least one distinctive (though often not

prominent) ridge along the head from just in front of the blowhole to

near the tip of the snout. (The humpback whale, on the other hand, is

distinguished by numerous knobs, some of which are located along the

line of the head ridge, with others scattered on the top of the head.)

In Bryde's whale, the single head ridge characteristic of the other

rorquals is supplemented by two auxiliary ridges, one on each side of

the main ridge.

At sea, these whales often appear very similar and must be examined

carefully before they can be reliably identified.

In general, though the characteristics of behavior may vary from one

encounter to the next, based on the activities in which the animal is

engaged, whales in this group may be distinguished from each other on

the basis of differences in 1) the size, shape, and position of the

dorsal fin and the timing of its appearance on the surface relative to

the animal's blow (in general, the larger the whale, the smaller the

dorsal fin--the further back its position and the later its appearance

on the surface after the animal's blow); 2) the height of body in the

area of the dorsal fin, relative to the size of the dorsal fin, which is

exposed as the animal sounds; 3) sometimes the blow rate and movement

patterns; and 4) the shape and color of the head.

Despite variability in behavior by members of the same species from one

encounter to the next, an observer can greatly increase the reliability

of his identification by forming the habit of working systematically

through a set of characteristics for the species rather than depending

on any single characteristic.

[Sidenote: BLUE WHALE

_Balaenoptera musculus_

p. 19]

Body very large, up to 85 feet (25.9 m) long.[7]

Body basically bluish with mottlings of grayish white.

Baleen all black.

Head broad and nearly U-shaped, viewed from above.

Head flat in front of blowhole, viewed from side.

Dorsal fin small (to 13 inches [33 cm]), triangular to moderately

falcate, in the last one-third of back.

Distribution primarily from temperate seas to pack ice; rare in

tropics.

Distribution more northerly during summer.

Flukes occasionally raised slightly on long dive.

[Footnote 7: These figures are all near maximum sizes recorded for the

North Atlantic. For all species which have historically been exploited

by whale fisheries present maximum sizes may be significantly less than

these figures.

It should also be noted that differences in methods of measurements

often account for discrepancies in reported lengths.]

[Sidenote: FIN WHALE

_Balaenoptera physalus_

p. 26]

Body large, up to 79 feet (24 m) long.

Body mostly dark gray or brownish gray; undersides of flukes and

flippers and belly white; grayish-white chevron frequently on

back behind head.

Right lower lip white; right upper lip sometimes white; left lip

dark.

Head V-shaped, viewed from above.

Right front one-third to one-fifth of baleen plates, yellowish

white.

Other baleen bluish gray with yellowish-white stripes.

Dorsal fin to 24 inches (61 cm), slightly more than one-third

forward from tail; forms angle of less than 40 deg. with back.

Distribution extensive but not very common near pack ice and in

tropics.

Distribution more northerly during summer.

Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: SEI WHALE

_Balaenoptera borealis_

p. 32]

Body up to 62 feet (19 m) long.

Body appears shiny; dark gray on back, often with ovoid

grayish-white scars; white on front of belly; undersides of

flippers and flukes dark.

Baleen grayish or ash black with fine, light-gray bristles.

Dorsal fin to 24 inches (61 cm), strongly falcate, well more than

one-third forward from tail; forms angle of more than 40 deg. with

back.

Distribution extensive; are not very common in cold waters and

may have a greater tendency than fin whales to enter tropical

waters.

Distribution more northerly in summer.

Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: BRYDE'S WHALE

_Balaenoptera edeni_

p. 37]

Body up to 46 feet (14 m) long.

Body dark gray overall.

Head has series of three ridges from area of blowhole to snout.

Baleen slate gray with coarse dark bristles.

Dorsal fin to 18 inches (45.7 cm), falcate, well more than

one-third forward from tail, often irregularly worn on rear

margin.

Distribution primarily tropical and southern temperate.

Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: HUMPBACK WHALE

_Megaptera novaeangliae_

p. 40]

Body up to 53 feet (16.2 m) long.

Body dark gray with irregular white area on belly; flippers

white; underside of flukes often has varying amounts of white.

Head in front of blowhole flat and covered with knobs.

Baleen dark gray to black with olive-black bristles.

Dorsal fin small, quite variable in shape, usually hooked,

located on a step or hump, in last one-third of back.

Flippers very long (to nearly one-third of body length), white,

and scalloped on leading edge.

Distribution at least New England to Iceland and Greenland during

summer.

Distribution to shallow tropical banks, winter and spring.

Flukes often scalloped on trailing edges and sometimes raised on

dive.

NOTE: Because of its small adult size, usually less than 30 feet (9.1 m),

another member of the rorqual family, the minke whale, is included with

the medium-sized whales in this guide. Features by which it may be

distinguished from all other rorquals are discussed in the species

account.

Further, inasmuch as the dorsal fin of the humpback whale is highly

variable in shape, positive identification may require reference to the

sperm whale (p. 57), which, though the sperm whale has been classified

with species without dorsal fin, has a rather distinct dorsal hump,

particularly noticeable when the animal arches the back and tail to

begin a long dive.

[Illustration: Figure 8a.--Swimming, blowing, and diving characteristics

of blue, fin, sei, and Bryde's whales.]

[Illustration: Figure 8b.--Swimming, blowing, and diving characteristics

of humpback, bowhead, right, and sperm whales.]

(40-65 feet [12-20 m] maximum overall length)

Without a Dorsal Fin

There are three species of large whales without a dorsal fin in the

western North Atlantic Ocean. Two of these, the bowhead or Greenland

whale, and its more widely distributed close relative the right whale,

are baleen whales. The third, the sperm whale, is a toothed whale. The

first two have relatively smooth backs without even a trace of a dorsal

fin. The sperm whale has a humplike low, thick, dorsal ridge, which,

from certain views, particularly when the animal is humping up to begin

a dive, may be clearly visible and look like a fin. But because the

profile of that hump and the knuckles which follow it are often not very

prominent in this species, it has been classified with the finless big

whales.

All three species are characterized by very distinctive blows or spouts.

In both the bowhead and the right whales, the projection of the blow

upward from two widely separated blowholes assumes a very wide V-shape

with two distinct columns, which may be seen when the animals are viewed

from front or back. Though this character may be visible under ideal

conditions in many of the other baleen whales species as well, it is

exaggerated and uniformly distinct in the bowhead and right whales and

may be used as one of the primary key characters. In the sperm whale,

the blow emanates from a blowhole which is displaced to the left of the

head near the front and projects obliquely forward to the animal's left.

This blow seen under ideal conditions positively labels a large whale as

a sperm whale.

Remember, however, that wind conditions may affect the disposition and

duration of the blow of any species and that a single character alone is

seldom sufficient to permit positive identification.

[Sidenote: BOWHEAD WHALE

_Balaena mysticetus_

p. 49]

Body to 65 feet (19.8 m) long.[8]

Body dark; back smooth.

Chin and belly often white.

Head lacks callosities.

Baleen dark gray with gray fringes; to 12 feet (3.7 m) or more.

Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched.

Two blowholes clearly separated.

Blow projects upward in wide V-shape.

Distribution restricted to Arctic waters south to Davis Straits.

Flukes raised on longer dives.

[Footnote 8: These figures are near maximum sizes recorded for the North

Atlantic. All three species have been heavily exploited by whale

fisheries. Therefore maximum sizes today may be significantly less than

these figures (see text).

It should also be noted that differences in methods of measurements

often account for discrepancies in reported lengths.]

[Sidenote: RIGHT WHALE

_Eubalaena glacialis_

p. 52]

Body to 53 feet (16.2 m) long.

Body from dark to light gray and mottled; back smooth; chin and

belly usually white.

Head and lower jaw covered with callosities (the largest of which

is called the bonnet and is set on top of the snout).

Baleen usually dark gray with dark fringes; to 7.2 feet (2.2 m).

When animals swim, mouth agape, near surface; baleen sometimes

appears pale brownish to yellowish gray in color.

Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched.

Two blowholes clearly separated.

Blow projects upward in wide V-shape.

Distribution extends from Iceland south at least to Florida and

reported from Texas.

Flukes raised on longer dives.

[Sidenote: SPERM WHALE

_Physeter catodon_

p. 57]

Body to 69 feet (20.9 m) long; males grow significantly larger

than females.

Body dark grayish brown to brown; wrinkled in appearance.

Back has rounded hump followed by knuckles.

Head boxlike, comprises up to 40% of body length.

From 18 to 25 functional teeth in each side of narrow lower jaw.

Single blowhole on left of head at front.

Blow projects forward obliquely from head and to left.

Distribution extends from tropics to Arctic; adult males

distributed farther north.

Flukes raised on longer dives.

MEDIUM-SIZED WHALES

(13-32 feet [4-10 m] maximum overall length)

With a Dorsal Fin

There are 11 species of medium-sized whales with a dorsal fin known from

the western North Atlantic. These species, taking many diverse forms,

range in maximum adult size from about 13 feet (4.0 m) (grampus) to

about 33 feet (10.1 m) (the minke whale). This group includes such

widely distributed and frequently encountered species as the pilot

whales, false killer whales, and minke whales, and such rarely

encountered and poorly known species as the various "beaked whales"

(_Mesoplodon_ spp. and the goosebeaked whale).

Aside from their common inclusion within the stated size range and the

presence of a dorsal fin in all species (which ranges from only a small

nubbin in some of the beaked whales to a substantial 5- to 6-foot [1.5-

to 1.8-m] sail on adult male killer whales), these species have no

diagnostic field characteristics in common. Therefore, each is discussed

in detail and is placed in the text in near proximity to those species

with which it is likely to be confused in the field.

[Sidenote: MINKE WHALE

_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_

p. 63]

Body to 30 feet (9.1 m), or more, long.

Body black or dark gray; area of gray shading on each side just

in front of and below dorsal fin.

Flippers have transverse white band.

Head very sharply V-shaped viewed from above.

Dorsal fin falcate and distinct; usually appears simultaneous

with blow.

Blow often low and indistinct.

Distribution polar, temperate, and tropical; frequently coastal.

Often curious about boats.

Flukes not raised on dive.

[Sidenote: NORTHERN BOTTLENOSED WHALE

_Hyperoodon ampullatus_

p. 67]

Body to 32 feet (9.8 m) long.

Body of young uniformly chocolate brown; body of adults brown

with cream or yellow blotches.

Head bulbous in adults and white in larger animals; has distinct

beak.

Dorsal fin falcate and distinct, in last one-third of back.

Distribution north temperate and Arctic-offshore.

Often curious about boats.

Flukes large, rarely notched; occasionally raised on long dive.

[Sidenote: GOOSEBEAKED WHALE

_Ziphius cavirostris_

p. 70]

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.

[Sidenote: ALL OTHER WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC BEAKED WHALES

_Mesoplodon_ spp.

p. 74]