Globicephala macrorhynchus
Silhouette: Chris huh · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% 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 |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Short-finned Pilot Whale sighting in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) on a given day, based on 328 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 6 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July–August
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Short-finned Pilot Whale in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) on a given day, against about 40% in February, the lowest month. Those are among Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife)'s driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in February.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Short-finned Pilot Whale sightings, Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Pico Island Natural Park (Azores) (Portugal, about 30%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 10%).
Same family: Delphinidae
The closest relatives of the Short-finned Pilot Whale that you can see in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (family Delphinidae, Oceanic Dolphins) are Bottlenose Dolphin (about 20%) and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (about 20%), 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 Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (328 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.
