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Thirty-three species of marine mammals have been sighted in
the wider Caribbean including whales, dolphins and the West
Indian Manatee. The whales pictured here are some of the more
common ones. They can easily be confused at sea with other
species.
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Baleen Whales
Humpback Whale | Bryde's
Whale
Toothed Whales
Sperm Whale | Short-finned Pilot Whale | False
Killer Whale |Grampus| Bottlenose Dolphin | Striped
Dolphin| Common Dolphin | Spotted Dolphin| Spinner
Dolphin
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Manatee
West
Indian
Manatee
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Baleen whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have narrow,
triangular plates of baleen growing down from their upper
jaw. The baleen acts like a giant strainer to sift out the
food from the sea water. All baleen whales have two blowholes.
They are often called the great whales. The Caribbean is
an important mating and calving area for baleen whales.
Humpback Whale
Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae
Length: average size 11-16 meters (35-50 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: knobs on head and chin
Baleen: 360-400 ash black plates on each side of
upper jaw
Flipper: long, white, up to 5 meters (15 feet)
Dorsal Fin: often scarred, located more than halfway
down back; size and shape differ for individuals
Tail: black above; underside of tail fluke may vary
from white to black; trailing edges are irregular Each humpback
whale's tail flukes are different; scientists photograph
the ventral pattern to identify individuals. Body: black
above, varying amounts of white on belly; up to 25 throat
grooves
Behavior: Humpback whales are known for their acrobatic
behaviors including jumping out of the water (breaching),
slapping their flippers on the water (flippering), or smacking
their tail flukes on the water (lobtailing). Mothers and
calves are commonly seen during the breeding season (December
to April). Humpbacks are also known as the "singing whales."
Bryde's Whale
Scientific name: Balaenoptera edeni
Length: average size 9-13 meters (28-40 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: 2 ridges on either side of central ridge
Baleen: 250-370 dark gray plates on each side of
upper jaw
Flipper: small, pointed
Dorsal Fin: curved, pointed at tip; located 2/3 of
body length from snout
Body: dark gray on back; often light gray areas on
side; dark on both sides of head; belly and chin usually
white; 40-50 throat grooves which expand during feeding
Behavior: Upon surfacing, Bryde's (pronounced Brew-dess)
whales often show their head. Usually seen alone, occasionally
in loose groups of 2-4.
Toothed whales include porpoises, dolphins and all whales
with teeth. These animals are generally smaller than the
baleen whales, with the exception of the sperm whale. All
toothed whales have one blowhole. Although fishermen call
many toothed whales "porpoises," scientists call them dolphins.
Porpoises have spade-shaped teeth; dolphins have cone-shaped
teeth. There are no "true" porpoises in the Caribbean region.
Sperm Whale
Scientific name: Physeter catodon
Local name: Sea wap or sea guap
Length: males up to 15 meters (46 feet)
females 9-10 meters (28-31 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: huge, boxlike; single blowhole, on left side
of forehead
Teeth: narrow lower jaw with 18-25 large, cone-shaped
teeth on each side. These teeth fit into sockets in the
upper jaw.
Flipper: short and stubby
Dorsal Fin: no back fin but a raised hump located
2/3 back from the snout
Body: brown; wrinkled skin behind head; triangular
tail flukes, dark brown on both sides with deep central
notch
Behavior: Sperm whales are commonly seen in small,
scattered groups (2-20 animals) usually in deep water but
may come close to shore. Dives may last more than 45 minutes.
Between dives, they may rest on the surface from 8 minutes
to nearly an hour.
Short-finned Pilot Whale
Scientific name: Globicephala macrorhynchus
Local name: Blackfish
Length: males 5 meters (15 feet)
females 4 meters (13 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: thick rounded head; no beak
Teeth: 7-9 peglike teeth in each row
Flipper: slender, sickle-shaped; 1/6th (or less)
of body length
Dorsal Fin: curved, rounded tip with long base; set
forward of mid-body
Body: black with light gray saddle behind dorsal
fin (hard to see); light gray areas on chest
Behavior: Blackfish commonly travel in groups of
5-15, and sometimes in groups of several hundred. When diving,
pilot whales may raise their tail flukes.
False Killer Whale
Scientific name: Pseudorca crassidens
Length: average 5 meters (15 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: tapers, overhanging upper jaw
Teeth: 8-11 in each row
Flipper: slender, sickle-shaped; 1/6th or less of
body length; broad hump on front of flipper
Dorsal Fin: tall, curved; tip rounded
Body: slender, all black except gray blaze on chest
Behavior: False killer whales may form large groups
of 100 or more, but usually travel in groups of 6-10.
Grampus
Scientific name: Grampus griseus
Length: 3 to 4 meters (9-13 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: rounded head; no beak
Teeth: only in lower jaw; 3-7 in each row, worn with
age
Dorsal Fin: curved, pointed; up to 15 inches tall;
scarred
Body: gray with white scratches or scars
Behavior: Grampus generally travel in groups
of 5 to 25,
sometimes with pilot whales. They prefer deep water (100
fathoms or more).
Bottlenose Dolphin
Scientific name: Tursiops truncatus
Local name: Black porpoise
Length: 2.5 to 4 meters (8-13 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: short, stubby beak; lower jaw sticks out farther
than upper jaw; crease where forehead and snout meet
Teeth: 18-26 in each row
Dorsal Fin: tall and very curved; located slightly
behind mid-body
Body: stocky; dark gray above, lighter gray on belly;
pattern often indistinct
Behavior: Bottlenose dolphins commonly travel in
small groups of between 2-25, often shoreward of 10 fathom
line. Also seen offshore. May be confused with rough-toothed
dolphins, Steno bredanensis, that are smaller, brownish
but with no crease in forehead.
Striped Dolphin
Scientific name: Stenella coeruleoalba
Length: 2 to 2.5 meters (6-8 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: black beak
Teeth: 43-50 in each row
Dorsal Fin: curved, located mid-body
Body: black stripe from eye toward fluke, and from
eye to flipper; gray blaze starts behind eye and sweeps
onto black back; white belly Behavior: Striped dolphins
often travel in groups of up to 100 or more.
Common Dolphin
Scientific name: Delphinus delphis
Local name: Saddleback
Length: 2 to 2.5 meters (6-8 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: black beak and lips, often white-tipped
Teeth: 40-55 in each row
Dorsal Fin: triangular, located mid-body
Body: black or brown above; white or cream chest
and belly; V-shaped, dark saddle below dorsal fin
Behavior: Common dolphins are known for bow-riding
and jumping. They may travel in groups of up to 100. They
are usually found seaward of 100 fathom line but can be
seen close to shore.
Spotted Dolphin
Scientific name: Stenella attenuate
Local name:Spotter, pink bellies, school boy porpoise
Length: 2.2 meters (7 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: tip of beak usually white; black eye patch and eye
band Teeth: 30-36 in each row of upper jaw, 28-35 in each
row of lower jaw Dorsal Fin: tall, curved backwards;
pointed at tip, located mid-body
Body: young are two-tone grays; with age, dark spots
develop on gray background;
adults have white spots on dark background; blaze below
and behind dorsal fin Behavior: Spotted dolphins frequently
make high leaps and travel in groups of 50 or more. They
can be confused with other species of spotted dolphins,
Stenella frontalis, locally called, rollover porpoise;
often travel with, Stenella clymene, short-snouted
spinner.
Spinner Dolphin
Scientific name: Stenella longirostris
Local name: Skipjack porpoise, spinner
Length: 1.8 meters (5.5 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: long, narrow head; black beak Teeth: 45-65 in each
row Dorsal Fin: triangular, fin tipped slightly forward,
located mid-body
Body: slender; dark gray on back; lighter tan on
sides; and gray/white on belly; cape forms an S shape below
dorsal fin
Behavior: Spinners are known for jumping and spinning.
They may occur in groups of up to 200 or more.
Although manatees are not whales, they are marine mammals.
They are found in rivers, swamps, springs and coastal waters
in the southeast United States to as far south as northern
Brazil. There are only a few manatee populations left in
the Caribbean. They are protected in every country in which
they occur.
Scientific name: Trichechus manatus
Local name: Sea cow
Length: average up to 4 meters (13 feet)
Distinctive Markings
Head: wrinkled, whiskers on mouth
Teeth: 6-8 teeth in each of 4 rows; most are very
worn
Flipper: paddle-shaped flippers with nails; mammary
glands located at base of flippers
Tail: round, spoon-shaped
Body: gray, round, and wrinkled; can weigh over
1590 kilograms (3500 pounds)
Behavior: Manatees feed on a variety of sea grass
and other vegetation. They swim slowly just below or at
the surface of the water. They are often injured or killed
by boats.
The publication of this field guide was funded by the
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. Additional support
for research, art and distribution was funded by Cetacean
Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare,
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, Plymouth Marine Mammal
Research Center, Save the Manatee Club and Special Expeditions.
Please send sightings or stranding reports including
date, time, location and behavior to:
Whale Sighting Network
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda
P.O. Box 103
St. John's, Antigua, W.I.
Tel. 809-462-4930
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