Body to about 7 m lon^. 



Body black, sometimes with light gray areas on chest: 



light saddle often present behind dorsal fin; 



eye blazes — all variable in degree of expression. 

 Rounded head becoming more bulbous with age. 

 Flippers to one-fifth of body length. 

 Dorsal fin long-based, low in profile, falcate 



to flaglike, set in front half ot back. 

 Distribution primarily tropical and warm temperate, though 



extending into the Gulf of Alaska at least seasonally. 

 Tail stock strongly humped or keeled on upper surface — shown as 



animal arches to dive. 



Short-finned Pilot Whale 



Clohiciphala macrorhynchus (A) 



Body to at least 4 m long. 



Body of newborn light gray; darkens to uniform brown soon after 



birth. 

 Body of adults light gray or white except appendages and area at 



base ot dorsal fin: scarred v\ith numerous scratches. 

 Head blunt, not beaked. 

 Forehead has vertical crease in center. 



Dorsal fin to 'Am high, rather erect, and dark even m light adults. 

 Distribution tropical to temperate. 

 Rarely ride bow wave, but often ride stern wake. 



Risso's Dolphin 



Grampus griseus (A) 



Without a Dorsal Fin 



Only two species of medium sized cetaceans without a dorsal fin 

 occur in the eastern North Pacific, the white whale (or beluga) and the 

 narwhal (only the former is common in any part of the Northeastern 



Pacific or contiguous arctic, the nanyhal being represented only by a 

 handful ot records;. Both species are easily identifiable when seen. 



Body to 5 m long. 



Body of adults all white; young slate gray. 



Small row of bumps along spine behind midpoint ot back, 



sometimes dark. 

 Body robust with narrow tail stock, he.id proportionateh' small. 

 Flippers spatulate, flukes broad. 

 Distribution usually near coast from MacKenzie River Delta all 



along coasts to Bristol Bay; Cook Inlet population isolated, 



with occasional records as far east at Yakutat and as far 



southwest as Kodiak. 



Beluga (White Whale) 

 Delpkmaptcrus kucas (Pj 



Body to 5 m long. 



Body of adults white ventrally and laterally, dark dorsally; newborns 



blotchy gray; juveniles all black. 

 Head small and beakless; adults ( mainly males ) may have tusk up to 



;m long. 

 Fleshy serrated ridge above spine replaces dorsal fin. 

 Distribution usually in deep water; rare in western Arctic; not 



known from south of Bering Sea. 



Narwhal 

 Monodott mcnceros (P) 



43 



