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Family Physeteridae (Sperm Whales)
| Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia simus) |
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IDENTIFICATION
The Dwarf Sperm Whale has a robust body and a squarish head. Its mouth,
located well behind the tip of the snout, is more like a shark's than
a whale's. The blowhole is on the top left side of the head - this offset
location is unique to the Sperm Whale Family. The Dwarf Sperm Whale shows
little visible blow when it surfaces, and often only the back is visible
when the animal rolls to breathe.
MEALS, MANNERS AND MIGRATION
Dwarf Sperm Whales live far off shore. They feed on deep water species,
often at depths of 250 metres or more. On the surface they are shy and
easily frightened, so they are rarely seen and difficult to identify.
STATUS
The Dwarf Sperm Whale has always been uncommon in British Columbia waters,
which are outside its normal range. The only occurrence in British Columbia
was a dead whale that washed up in Barkley Sound in 1981. Due to insufficient
scientific information as of 1997, there is no COSEWIC status designation
for this species.
DISTRIBUTION
Widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate waters where it is abundant
in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. It is an open-ocean species
that prefers to live along the continental shelves. There is only one
record of the Dwarf Sperm Whale in B.C. waters: a stranding on the west
coast of Vancouver Island in 1981.
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