Pygmy beaked whale
Mesoplodon peruvianus
The pygmy beaked whale, also called the lesser beaked whale, is rarely seen, so no sighting is ever a promise.
Least Concern (IUCN, 2020) means it is not at high risk of extinction worldwide today, although it is poorly known.
Length
About 3.4 to 4.1 m (11 to 13.5 ft). Other sources give 3.4 to 3.7 m and a maximum of 3.9 m. Calves are about 1.5 to 1.6 m (5 ft) at birth.
Weight
Not recorded in the sources we opened.
Next to a person
About as long as a small car, and the smallest of the Mesoplodon beaked whales.
What it eats
Small fish such as lanternfish, plus squid and crustaceans, found in deep water. It is thought to find prey with echolocation and take it by suction.
Around people
Calm, give space
How it lives
It is the smallest beaked whale in its genus. Adult males are darker with scarring and a pale swathe behind the blowhole. Females and calves are plainer, with a dark eye patch. Males have tiny, egg-shaped teeth. Groups of two to four are usual. It dives for about 15 to 30 minutes to depths of more than 500 m.
Where it goes
Little is known about its movements. It lives in the warm eastern tropical Pacific, with records from Baja California to Peru.
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
IUCN Least Concern (2020), but it is naturally rare or poorly known, and no population estimate was given in the sources we opened. About 65 sightings had been documented by 2001. It is known from the eastern tropical Pacific, from Baja California to Peru, with strandings as far away as California and New Zealand. Gillnets are a known risk, especially in Peru.
Meet it respectfully
Beaked whales are shy and sensitive to disturbance, including noise. We never chase, approach closely or try to attract one. If one is ever seen, we keep distance, keep noise low and let it decide what happens.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
It was only described as a species in 1991, from specimens found in Peru.
It is the smallest of the Mesoplodon beaked whales.
About 65 sightings had been documented by 2001, so each one is rare.
Pygmy beaked whale in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
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MexicoSources for this page
- IUCN Red List category via GBIF, assessed 2020 (Pitman and Taylor)
- Wikipedia, Pygmy beaked whale (cites IUCN assessment, 2020)
- MarineBio Conservation Society
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
- Society for Marine Mammalogy, list of marine mammal species
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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