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Southern Bottlenose Whales

The southern bottlenose whale is a small toothed species of the beaked whale family. Unlike the northern bottlenose whale that inhabits the northern Atlantic, the southern bottlenose species was never targeted by the industry except for “research” purposes. The southern bottlenose reaches thirty feet in length at adulthood and weighs up to eight tons. It has a short snout, big forehead, large lower jaw with protruding teeth and a dorsal fin that stands about fifteen inches. These dimensions are what distinguish the species from other dolphins and the Arnoux’s beaked whale which it resembles. The southern bottlenose whale and the southern bottlenose dolphin are different species.

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Information about Southern Bottlenose Whales

The southern bottlenose whale is brown with a lighter underside and white marks that are scars from violent encounters. Algae that cover the whale may give it a yellowish appearance. The species may travel solo or in small groups, and females are seen in pods of twenty to thirty. Though little is known about the species’ breeding and birthing habits because these activities occur in open water, southern bottlenose whales are believed to give birth in the spring and early summer every few years after a twelve-month gestation.

The southern bottlenose can dive over 1,500 feet and eats a diet of squid and fish, sucking its prey into its mouth. The species has a bushy blow that sprays some six feet. When hunting at the surface near shore, it may consume pelicans and other birds, hitting the prey with its fluke before devouring it.

Whale watchers may see southern bottlenose whales any time of year in various locations including on Chile tours into the central region and during Argentina tours to Tierra del Fuego. The populations that visitors see during travel to Antarctica are thought to move northward to spend the winter months. The size of the total populations is not known. It is believed that the southern bottlenose whale has a lifespan of between thirty-five and fifty years.

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