Globicephala macrorhynchus
Silhouette: Chris huh · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) is one of the two species of cetaceans in the genus Globicephala, which it shares with the long-finned pilot whale (G. melas). It is part of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae).
It has a worldwide distribution with a global population of about 700,000, and there may be 3 or 4 distinct populations—two in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its range is moving northward due to global warming. In the Pacific, males average 4–6 m (13–20 ft) and females 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft). It generally has a stocky build with black to dark gray or brown skin, and can be distinguished from its counterpart by shorter flippers, fewer teeth, and a shorter beak. It is thought to pursue fast-moving squid typically at a depth of 700 m (2,300 ft), but the maximum recorded depth is 1,018 m (3,340 ft).
The short-finned pilot whale has been reported as being highly playful and social. It typically travels in pods of 10–30 members, usually family, but has been observed moving in groups of several hundred. Like killer whales, it has a matrilineal social hierarchy with an elder female at the head and a sizable post-reproductive lifespan. It is polygynous; females often outnumber males 8:1 in a pod.
Pods are known to mass strand, possibly due to sheer accident, biosonars confused by geomagnetic anomalies, injury from loud military sonar, or disease. It was historically whaled, and is still whaled today by Japan and the Lesser Antilles, but it is protected by several international treaties.
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Marine World Uminonakamichi | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Short-finned Pilot Whale sighting in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 13 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Short-finned Pilot Whale in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and September–October, the lowest months. That is one of Pico Island Natural Park (Azores)'s driest months, with about 70 mm of rain against 250 mm in December. January has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Short-finned Pilot Whale sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Short-finned Pilot Whale sightings, Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (Spain, about 60%).
Same family: Delphinidae
The closest relatives of the Short-finned Pilot Whale that you can see in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) (family Delphinidae, Oceanic Dolphins) are Common Dolphin (about 70%), Bottlenose Dolphin (about 60%) and Risso's Dolphin (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Short-finned Pilot Whale is recorded against all the mammals logged in Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
