GOOSEBEAKED WHALE (T) 



Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier 1823 



Other Common Names 



Ziphius, Cuvier's beaked whale, grampus (St. Vincent) 

 (see also p. 96). 



Description 



Goosebeaked whales reach a length of 23 feet (7 m). 

 Females are slightly larger than males of the same age. 

 Calves are probably less than about 6 feet (1.8 m) at birth. 

 The head is small relative to the body length and, when 

 viewed laterally, is slightly concaved or scooped on the upper 

 margin. The cleft of the mouth is small, smaller than in any 

 other species of beaked whales. The beak is indistinct in 

 larger individuals. There is a distinct indentation on the back 

 behind the head. Two teeth are found at the tip of the lower 

 jaw of adult males only. 



The dorsal fin is relatively tall and distinct, to at least 15 

 inches (38.1 cm), smoothly falcate, and located well behind 

 the midpoint of the back. The blowhole is located far forward 

 on the top of the head. The blow, which may project slightly 

 forward and slightly off to the left, is usually low and 

 inconspicuous. Though the first blow after a long dive may be 

 more distinct, even it is rarely visible even under good wind 

 conditions for more than a few hundred yards. 



Descriptionsof the color pattern vary. Individuals may be 

 dark rust brown, slate gray, or fawn colored on the back and 

 generally lighter on the belly. Some appear dark in both 

 regions, still others — particularly youngsters— appear light- 

 er gray or tan on the belly. The body is frequently covered 

 with white or cream-colored blotches (particularly on the 

 belly). The tail flukes are dark on the bottom. The head is 

 frequently paler in color. Old males have a distinct white head 

 and are frequently extensively scarred. 



Natural History Notes 



Goosebeaked whales frequently occur in groups of from 10 

 to as many as 25 individuals. They have been reported to 

 jump clear of the water. They are presumably deep divers 

 and are known to stay down for more than 30 min. When they 

 begin a deep dive, they often raise their tail flukes above the 



surface and dive nearly vertically. Goosebeaked whales feed 

 primarily on squid. 



May Be Confused With 



So lit tie is known of the external appearance and behavior 

 of the living beaked whales at sea that all the species may 

 easily be confused. 



Goosebeaked whales are larger than all other beaked 

 whale species with the exception of the northern bottlenosed 

 whale. Upon close examination they may be distinguished 

 from the northern bottlenosed whale by the lighter coloration 

 of the head, reaching an extreme in the white head of adult 

 males. (See p. 67 and Fig. 75.) 



Distribution 



As with other species of beaked whales seldom 

 encountered or at least seldom positively identified at sea, 

 the distribution of goosebeaked whales is poorly known and 

 must be constructed from records of stranded specimens. 

 Such records, often involving sick individuals that may have 

 washed ashore from considerable distances, may give an 

 inaccurate picture of normal ranges. 



In general, stranding reports suggest that goosebeaked 

 whales are sparsely but widely distributed in nonpolar 

 latitudes. They appear to be primarily tropical in 

 distribution, though they venture into temperate areas in 

 summer. They have been reported from Massachusetts and 

 Rhode Island south to Florida and thence to the islands of the 

 West Indies. They are frequently stranded along the Florida 

 coast and are not an uncommon species in the extant whale 

 fishery of the Antillean Islands. The fact that goosebeaked 

 whales strand more frequently than other beaked whales 

 may reflect either a greater abundance or a greater tendency 

 to approach close to shore. 



They are probably primarily an offshore species. 



Stranded Specimens 



To be positively identified, stranded goosebeaked whales 

 in an advanced state of decomposition may require museum 

 preparation and examination of the skull and teeth. Fresh 

 specimens may be tentatively identified by the characters 

 illustrated in the figures. 



70 



