Blainville's Beaked Whale

Blainville’s Beaked Whales are distinguished by their notable beak and compact form, residing primarily in tropical to warm temperate seas. These cetaceans are experts in executing profound dives, often venturing into mid-depth aquatic realms, where they forage in small, cohesive units. Their diet predominantly consists of deepwater squid, alongside occasional fish, underscoring their adaptability and diverse feeding habits.

Remarkably social, these whales typically assemble in groups ranging from three to seven, though larger congregations have been observed in regions like Hawaii and the Bahamas. Such social structures are frequently characterized by a single adult male accompanying multiple females and their offspring, indicating a harem-like group dynamic. This social arrangement points to a complex social hierarchy and interaction within their habitat, highlighting their intricate life beneath the waves.

Quick facts

Length

Male: 4,8m

Female: 4,7m

Calf: 2,5m

Weight

Adults: 1 ton

Calves: 60 kg

Habits

Dive Time

20–45min

Dive Depth

<1000m

Reproduction

Over 23 years

Life Span:

12 months

Gestation period:

Physical characteristics

Group Structure

Blainville’s Beaked Whales typically form tight-knit groups, generally composed of 3 to 7 individuals, but larger gatherings have been observed in locations such as Hawaii and the Bahamas, where groups have contained up to 11 members. These social structures often resemble harems, with a single adult male accompanying several adult females and their offspring, which may include both calves and juveniles. Sub-adults, on the other hand, usually form their separate groups and are found in areas less abundant in resources. This social organization underscores the species’ complex social dynamics and suggests a significant degree of social cohesion and interdependence among group members, highlighting the importance of social bonds in their natural habitat.

Dive sequence

@Georgina Cabayol

Behavior

Socializing +

These whales leverage vocalizations for communication, orientation, and foraging in deep waters, showcasing a strategic silence in shallower regions, possibly to avoid predators. This behavior underscores their sophisticated adaptation to their environment, balancing social interaction with survival tactics.

Resting +

While specific resting behaviors aren’t detailed here, like many deep-diving species, they likely engage in passive or active resting phases, possibly in mid-water columns or near the surface, allowing for minimal energy expenditure.

Foraging & Diet +

They utilize suction feeding, a method where water and prey are drawn into the mouth by creating a negative pressure. This technique is effective for capturing their prey, which consists of deepwater squid and fish, during both day and night, reflecting their adaptability and opportunistic feeding strategies.

Primarily focusing on deepwater squid and fish, their dietary habits align with their deep-diving capabilities. This diet is indicative of their role in the marine ecosystem, targeting prey in mid to deep-water columns, further illustrating their specialized hunting skills and the ecological niche they occupy within their habitat.

Predators

Blainville’s Beaked Whales face predation primarily from orcas and large sharks, including species such as tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks, and great white sharks. Evidence of these encounters includes tooth rake scars observed on the tail of an individual in Hawaii, likely from an orca attack, as well as bite marks from large sharks on a number of individuals. These scars and injuries indicate interactions with top marine predators, underscoring the whales’ vulnerability to natural predation within their oceanic habitat. Despite these threats, such predatory interactions appear to be relatively uncommon, as suggested by the specific instances of scarring and documentation of attacks.

https://whaleopedia.org/beaked-bottlenose-whales/dense-beaked-whale/

Distribution & Movements

Inhabit tropical to warm temperate waters across both hemispheres, demonstrating a preference for intermediate depths, particularly between 500 and 1,500 meters. These regions often include continental shelves, deep submarine canyons, and the steep slopes surrounding seamounts, offering a complex seabed topography conducive to their lifestyle. Remarkably, they are also encountered in much deeper oceanic environments, with sightings in waters reaching depths of at least 5,000 meters, and in shallower areas, down to 320 meters, showcasing their adaptability. These whales exhibit high site fidelity in certain studied areas, with individual whales frequently returning to the same locales over years or even decades, highlighting their complex movement patterns and habitat preferences.

Reproduction & Life History

Sexual Maturity

Both females and males likely reach sexual maturity around the ages of 8 to 10 years. However, females do not typically give birth until approximately 9 to 15 years of age, indicating a delayed onset of reproductive activity following sexual maturity.

Gestation period

The gestation period for Blainville’s Beaked Whales is estimated at approximately 12 months, which aligns with the reproductive cycles observed in other beaked whale species.

Calving Interval

Females birth a single calf every 3 to 4 years, exemplifying the species’ K-selected strategy, emphasizing substantial investment in each offspring over producing many with less care. This reflects their adaptation to a life requiring significant parental input per offspring due to the challenges of their deep-diving existence.

Suckling Period & Nursing

Calves are weaned after approximately 12 months but may remain with their mothers for up to 2 to 3 years. During this extended post-weaning period, calves likely continue to learn crucial survival and social skills.

Lifespan

They are known to live for at least 23 years, though their maximum lifespan is likely to be considerably longer. Longevity in beaked whales is associated with their deep-diving lifestyle and slow life history strategy.

Mating Strategy

Male competition for access to females is inferred to be intense, as indicated by the presence of extensive scarring from male-male combat. These interactions suggest a highly competitive mating system where physical contests may determine breeding opportunities.

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False Killer Whale

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Orca (Killer Whale)

Orcinus orca

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Balaenoptera musculus

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Whale Watching Azores Essentials

Explore, Love, and Protect: Unveiling the essence of Whale Watching in the Azores

More information

Explore Azores

Blainville’s Beaked Whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Elusive deep-divers known for their unique foraging behavior.

Quick facts

Length

Weight

Habits

Reproduction

Reproduction

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least Concern <img width="21" height="26" class="graphics-design-i" src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/tooltip-more-info-futurismo.svg"> Common and widespread, low vulnerability.

Physical characteristics

Group Structure

Dive sequence

Behavior

Predators

Distribution & Movements

Reproduction & Life History

Sexual Maturity

Gestation period

Calving Interval

Suckling Period & Nursing

Lifespan

Mating Strategy

Species in the Azores

Sighting frequency

Sighting frequency

BY SPECIES

Sighting frequency

BY SPECIES

Species

Departure Points

Dates

Related Scientific Articles

González, L. (2018): Spatio-temporal distribution of the order Cetacea in the Azores: relationship between biotic and abiotic variables

Aguilar de Soto, N. et al. (2017): True’s beaked whale in Macaronesia

Sousa, A. et al (2021): Climate change vulnerability of cetaceans in Macaronesia

Specimen that you can see in Azores sea

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Bryde’s Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

Bryde’s Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Nothern Bottlenose Whale

Hyperoodon ampullatus

Nothern Bottlenose Whale

Hyperoodon ampullatus

Pilot Whale (Long & Short-finned)

Globicephala melas | Globicephala macrorhynchus

Pilot Whale (Long & Short-finned)

Globicephala melas | Globicephala macrorhynchus

Blainville’s Beaked Whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Blainville’s Beaked Whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Sei Whale

Balaenoptera borealis

Sei Whale

Balaenoptera borealis

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whale

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least Concern

Common and widespread, low vulnerability.