Species Guide
Common dolphin
See all species Previously considered as one species, in 1994 the common dolphin was separated into short and long-beak varieties. However, advances in science suggest the initial classification was correct and the common dolphin is in fact one species (with four sub-species), which shows considerable variation through its large range. Other names: Criss-cross dolphin; White-bellied…
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Indus river dolphin
See all species The Indus River dolphin lives in the Indus river basin of Pakistan and India. Unfortunately, there are currently less than two thousand of these endangered dolphins left in the world. However, there have been some promising signs of increasing numbers, which can be attributed to better protection measures in Pakistan. Other names:…
Read MoreRice’s whale
See all species Formerly known as the “Gulf of Mexico sub-population” of Bryde’s whales, Rice’s whale was identified as a separate species in 2021. From the skull of an individual that stranded in 2019, scientists identified characteristics that distinguish them as a new species. It is named after the late biologist Dale Rice, the first…
Read MoreSato’s beaked whale
See all species Sato’s beaked whale was only recognised as a new species in 2019. Only a few stranded individuals have been recorded in the North Pacific. Male Female Calf Maximum length 6.9m Unknown Unknown Maximum weight Unknown Unknown Unknown IUCN conservation status: Near Threatened What do Sato’s beaked whales look like? Sato’s beaked whale…
Read MoreDeraniyagala’s Beaked Whale
See all species Deraniyagala’s beaked whale has never been seen, let alone studied, alive in the ocean. This entire whale species is known from only seven dead whales that have stranded on remote tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans over the past 50 years. A Sri Lankan scientist named Mr Deraniyagala’s first named…
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Sowerby’s beaked whale
See all species Sowerby’s beaked whale was the first of the beaked whales to be discovered after a stranding in the Moray Firth in 1800. Other names: North Sea beaked whale, North Atlantic beaked whale Male Female Calf Maximum length 5.5m 5.1m 2.4m Maximum weight 1,300kg 1,300kg Unknown IUCN conservation status: Least Concern What do…
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