Short-finned pilot whale©M.Dewynter/CARIMAM

Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)©C.Pusineri/ONCFS

- TAXONOMY
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetartiodactyla
Infraorder : Cetacea
Parvorder : Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Common names:
English: Short-finned Pilot Whale
Spanish: Calderón de aleta corta
French: Globicéphale tropical

- MORPHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
Morphology: Long and massive body. Bulbous head with prominent melon. Prominent, falcate broad based dorsal fin, typical of the species.
Color and patterns: brownish black or dark gray body, with light markings on shoulder and belly.
Body length: around 7 m for males and 5 m for females.
Confusion with other species: It is difficult to differentiate it from the short-finned pilot whale, but their distribution areas overlap little, as this second species is mainly observed in temperate and cold regions. The size of the flippers, shorter in the short-finned pilot whale, is the main element that allows to differentiate them.
Group size: usually a few dozen of individuals.
Feeding: feeds preferentially at night on large cephalopods and less frequently on large fish, at several hundred-meter depth.
Specific behavior: When resting, they usually form typical very compact groups. They can get close to vessels. They are highly gregarious and well known for mass strandings.

- DISTRIBUTION
Global distribution: they occur in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans.
Sightings in the Wider Caribbean region: The species is common in the whole Wider Caribbean region, between the 200- and 2 000-meter depth isobaths, along the continental slopes and the insular slopes.

- CONSERVATION
Threats recorded in the Wider Caribbean region: underwater noise produced during geophysical seismic surveys, military (naval) training exercises, as well as whaling.
Global UICN status: LC (Least Concern)
SPAW status: The Short-finned pilot whale is classified in Annex II of the SPAW Protocol since 1991.

Sources :
International Whaling Commission
IUCN (2021) The IUCN redlist of threatened species.
IUCN and Zoological Society of London (2012) National Red Lists
Jefferson T.A., Webber M.A., Pitman R.L. (2015) Marine mammals of the world : a comprehensive guide to their identification. Academic Press.
Kaschner, K., Reeves, R. (2011) LifeWeb species distribution factsheets.
NOOA (2021) Species fact sheets - Marine mammals.
Ocean Science & Logistic (2020) Guide des cétacés de Guyane française. OSL, canopée des Science, Cayenne, Guyane française.
Savouré-Soubelet A., Aulagnier S., Haffner P., et al. (coord.) (2016) Atlas des mammifères sauvages de France volume 1 : Mammifères marins. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris ; IRD, Marseille.
Society for marine mammalogy-Species fact sheets
SPAW-RAC. (2020). Implementation of the Action Plan for Marine Mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region: A Scientific and Technical Analysis. Authored by Vail, C. and Borobia, M. UNEP, SPAW-RAC.
Ward, N., Bogomolni, A., Potter, C. (2013) A stranding guide to marine mammals of the Wider Caribbean region : An introduction field for stranding responders. Gecko Production Inc. ISBN : 978-1-891694-00-4.