Bottlenose
Whales, Baird’s Beaked Whales of Alaska
Alaska Whale Watching Tours, Baird's Beaked Whale Identification.
Baird's Beaked Whale AKA Bottlenose Whales
Also known as Baird’s beaked whale, the bottlenose whale is the second largest
of the toothed whales. THis species is only found in the Pacific Ocean north of the equator
and ranges from Baja California, along the western Canadian coast, past southeastern Alaska,
the Aleutian Chain up to the Bering Sea. The bottlenose whales have jaws that form beaks.
They have four teeth at the front of the lower jaw. The average male’s body length
is 30-39 feet long and females 42 feet long. Their long, cigar shaped bodies are slate-gray
in color but can look dark blue in the upper dorsal part of their body. They are usually
scarred from encounters with other whales. The older they are the more scales they have.
From a distance the bottlenose whale or Baird’s beaked whale, can be confused with
other beaked or the minke whale. The bottlenose whale usually inhabits deeper waters than
frequented by these other whales. When they surface to breathe they bring their head out
of the water at an angle which clearly shows their beak. The beak looks much like that
of a bottlenose dolphin.
They eat primarily squid but also like rockfish, herring and octopus. Diving to around
3,300 feet, the North Pacific bottlenose whale is a deep diver in dives lasting 20 minutes
to an hour. The bottlenose whale’s habitat is steep underwater geologic structures
such as submarine canyons, seamounts, and continental slopes.
As they spend so much time at such depths researchers believe that the bottlenose whale
likely has poor vision, good hearing, and excellent echolocation skills.
They can be found in pods from ten to a hundred. The larger pods are lead by an older
male. Pods consist of various combinations and might be segregated depending on age, sex,
or stage in life. Males are known to be combative, using their large heads to "butt" one
another. Not much is known about this whale as they are difficult for whale watchers to
approach. Their behavior is skittish and they have a small, inconspicuous blow at the
surface of the water. The bottlenose whale may live to 50-70 years.
No population estimates exist for the Alaska stock of the Baird’s beaked whale
due to unavailable data. It is estimated that there are between 150-250 animals off the
U.S. west coast (California/Oregon/Washington stock) and 7,000 in the western Pacific
Ocean.
The main predator of the bottlenose whale or Baird’s beaked whale, is the killer
whale.
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Numbers obtained from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.
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