Best Odontoceti
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The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator on Earth, with males reaching up to 20 meters in length. It is characterized by its massive, block-shaped head, which contains the spermaceti organ, and possesses the largest brain of any animal. This vulnerable sp...
The narwhal is a medium-sized Arctic toothed whale known for its distinctive elongated spiral tusk, which is an overgrown left canine tooth that can reach up to three meters in length, primarily in males. Inhabiting the icy waters of the Arctic Atlantic and Russian regions, they migrate between coas...
The beluga whale is an Arctic and subarctic cetacean recognized by its striking white coloration, which provides camouflage among the ice, and its uniquely flexible neck due to unfused cervical vertebrae. It is highly vocal, producing a diverse array of clicks, whistles, and clangs that have earned...
Bigg's killer whale, formerly known as the transient killer whale, is a distinct ecotype of killer whale found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. It is named after Canadian cetologist Michael Bigg, who pioneered the use of photo-identification for studying these marine mammals. Unlike fish-eating r...
Cuvier's beaked whale is a widely distributed marine mammal belonging to the beaked whale family, Ziphiidae. It is recognized for its deep-diving capabilities, holding the confirmed mammal record for both depth and duration, with documented dives exceeding 2,992 meters and lasting nearly four hours....
The Type B killer whale is an ecotype of orca native to the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, frequently observed in regions with extensive pack ice. It is characterized by a visually distinct coloration, specifically a yellowish tint caused by an accumulation of microscopic diatom algae on its sk...
The Type D killer whale is a distinctive, morphologically unique ecotype of killer whale found in the sub-Antarctic oceans. It is most easily recognized by its unusually small, rounded white eye patch and a more bulbous melon compared to other killer whale populations. For decades, this rare form wa...
Type A killer whales are the largest of the several genetically and morphologically distinct ecotypes of orcas found in Antarctic waters. They inhabit open ocean environments rather than pack ice, where they specialize in hunting minke whales. These killer whales are physically characterized by a me...
Type C killer whales represent the smallest of the recognized ecotypes of orcas found in Antarctic waters. They are typically observed in the dense pack ice and specialize in foraging for Antarctic toothfish. This ecotype is visually distinguished by its notably slanted, forward-oriented white eye p...
The offshore killer whale is one of three identified ecotypes of killer whales found in the eastern North Pacific. Unlike the resident and transient ecotypes, these whales are typically found far from the coast in large groups. Their diet is believed to consist primarily of fish and sharks, though t...
The spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii) is a poorly understood species of beaked whale belonging to the family Ziphiidae. It is considered one of the rarest cetaceans in the world, as no live individual has ever been definitively observed in its natural deep-ocean habitat. All existing knowle...
Baird's beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) is the largest species within the beaked whale family, reaching lengths of up to 11.9 meters, and inhabits the deep waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Named after the American naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird, it is characterized by its long, tubular snout...
The northern bottlenose whale is a large species of beaked whale belonging to the family Ziphiidae. It is found exclusively in the cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, where it typically inhabits deep offshore waters and submarine canyons. This species is distinguished by its bulbo...
Blainville's beaked whale is a species of toothed whale belonging to the family Ziphiidae. It is found in tropical and temperate waters across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. This marine mammal is named after Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville and is noted for its dense, heavily ossified j...
The Southern Hemisphere ecological counterpart of Baird's beaked whale, named after French ship's surgeon M. Arnoux, and found in cold sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters.
An Indo-Pacific beaked whale known for nearly a century only from two partial skulls before live animals were identified at sea and from strandings in the early 2000s.
A Southern Hemisphere beaked whale in which males possess two elongated teeth that curve over the upper jaw, physically limiting how wide the mouth can open.
The only beaked whale species known to possess a full set of functional teeth in both jaws, setting it apart from all other members of the family Ziphiidae.
A newly recognized Berardius beaked whale formally described as a distinct species around 2019, smaller than Baird's beaked whale and found in waters around Japan.
A Southern Hemisphere beaked whale formally described as a new species in 2021, named in part after Māori whale expert Ramari Stewart of New Zealand.
Sowerby's beaked whale was the first beaked whale described by science, named by naturalist James Sowerby in 1804 from a specimen that stranded in Scotland.
A beaked whale of the Southern Ocean distinguished from its northern relative by a flatter forehead profile, and among the least-studied cetaceans in the world.
The pygmy sperm whale is a small toothed whale reaching about 3.5 m that is rarely observed alive at sea and is most often encountered through beach strandings.
Perrin's beaked whale was described as a new species in 2002 from five specimens stranded along the California coast and is named after cetologist William Perrin.
The dwarf sperm whale is the smallest member of family Kogiidae at only 2.7 m and releases a dark reddish-brown fluid from its intestine as a defense mechanism.
An Indo-Pacific beaked whale whose males possess wide, flat teeth resembling ginkgo leaves, known primarily from strandings with few confirmed open-ocean observations.
A Southern Hemisphere beaked whale named after British zoologist John Edward Gray, notable for occasionally mass-stranding in groups larger than those of any other beaked whale species.
True's beaked whale is a rarely observed species of the North Atlantic and southern Indian Ocean, first described by American zoologist Frederick True in 1913.
A rare North Pacific beaked whale named after Norwegian-American naturalist Leonhard Stejneger, known almost entirely from strandings with very few confirmed live sightings.
Gervais' beaked whale is a rare North Atlantic species first formally described by French zoologist Paul Gervais in 1855 and known primarily from strandings.
