Short-finned pilot whale

How it lives

Short-finned pilot whales make deep, fast dives to chase squid, often at night or at twilight, and have been called 'cheetahs of the deep'. They live in long-lasting, female-led family groups. Groups are often small, but size changes a lot and temporary gatherings can be much larger. Females usually stay with their birth group for life, while males move more, and a female calves only every 5 to 8 years after a pregnancy of about 15 months.

Where it goes

Some pilot whale groups keep to a home area while others range more widely, and no single yearly migration route is known. In Timor-Leste they are among the whales and dolphins seen in the Wetar and Ombai straits from October to December, and local research describes them returning to some waters around Ataúro, but how often visitors meet them there is not known.

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

Short-finned pilot whales have distinct regional forms and social traditions. In Timor-Leste they have been confirmed in surveys, including one in November 2016 around Dili, Tibar and Ataúro, but how often they are met there is not known.