Baird's Beaked Whales
Berardius bairdii · also called North Pacific Bottlenose Whale, Giant Bottlenose Whale · Toothed whale
Baird's beaked whale is the largest member of the beaked whale family, a deep-diving hunter of the cold North Pacific known for its remarkable longevity.
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Cetacea |
| Family | Ziphiidae |
| Genus | Berardius |
| Species | bairdii |
Description
Baird's beaked whales have a long, slender beak and a bulbous forehead, with dark bluish-gray to brown skin often covered in scars from social interaction and parasites.
Size
The largest of all beaked whales, Baird's beaked whales measure 33 to 42 feet in length and weigh up to 12 tons.
Did You Know?
Baird's beaked whales are among the longest-lived whales known, with some individuals estimated to be more than 80 years old.
Habitat
Baird's beaked whales live in cold, deep waters of the North Pacific, including the Sea of Japan and Bering Sea, generally far from shore.
Diving
They are capable of extremely deep, long dives in search of prey along the seafloor, often exceeding an hour underwater.
Life span
Baird's beaked whales are among the longest-lived whales known, with some individuals estimated at more than 80 years old.
Social structure
Baird's beaked whales travel in tight pods of up to about 30 individuals, surfacing and diving together in near-unison.
Whale Gifts
More Whale Gifts
