Hubbs' beaked whale

How it lives

A deep-diving whale that feeds by suction on squid and fish in intermediate and deep water. It is usually seen in small groups or pairs. Adult males have a white cap on the head and are covered in pale scars, which are thought to come from fights between males. One group that was watched did not seem to dive deep and spent a lot of time at the surface. Gestation is reported as about 12 months, with a single calf, but very little is confirmed. In September 2021, two young whales were watched for almost two hours about 350 km off the Oregon coast.

Where it goes

Little is known about how far Hubbs' beaked whales travel. They seem to prefer deep water far from shore in the cool North Pacific, from Japan to the Pacific coast of North America. No migration route has been described.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

There is no estimate of how many there are. The whale is known from over 60 recorded strandings across the North Pacific and from very few live sightings. Before 2021 it had been identified alive in the wild only once, off Oregon in 1994. It is found from Japan to the Pacific coast of North America, from about San Diego to Prince Rupert in British Columbia. IUCN lists it as Data Deficient (2020). NatureServe rates it Vulnerable. Fishing nets, pollution, sonar and seismic noise are listed as possible concerns, but their effect is not known. It is protected under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and listed under CITES Appendix II.