Cuvier’s beaked whale
It feeds almost exclusively on mesopelagic and bathypelagic squids.
6-7 m long.
Approximately 40 years
Data deficient (Mediterranean, IUCN, 2024)
The Cuvier’s beaked whale belongs to the order of Cetacea and is a member of the beaked whales, of the family Ziphiidae. It is an excellent diver that can dive and swim in depths of up to 2,000m. It is extremely sensitive to noise. It forms groups of 2-3 individuals and prefers open seas and sites with steep slopes.
External features
It looks like a big, elongated dolphin. Males’ colors range from dark grey to olive green, although older males may be almost white. Colors in females vary, from dark grey to grey-brown.
Habitat
In the Greek seas it is encountered in the same areas as the sperm whales: the Hellenic Trench (the arc extending from the Ionian Sea to Rhodes), Southern Crete and Western Lefkada, Halkidiki, Northern Lemnos, the Icarian Sea, Milos and Karpathos.
Population in Greece
There are no detailed data on the Greek population.
Fun Fact!
Holds the records for both the deepest and longest dives ever recorded by a mammal. In 2020, one study reported that a Cuvier’s beaked whale made a dive that lasted 222 minutes!