Identification - whales

This key is a guide to the most commonly found stranded whales in Cornish waters. By far the most common whale to strand is the pilot whale, followed by the minke whale. Other whale strandings are very rare events.

Images are only roughly to scale. Also be aware that juvenile and newborn animals will be smaller!

Identification Key

1
The animal is more than 3 metres long.	Go to step 2
The animal is less than 3 metres long.	It's probably a dolphin, so go to the dolphin page.
2
Has teeth.	Long-finned pilot whale or sperm whale
Has baleen.	Minke or fin whale
Has a prominent beak with only 2 teeth.	Cuvier's or Sowerby's beaked whale

Toothed whales

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Long-finned Pilot whale (Globicephala melas)

Adult length: 3.8-6m	Adult weight: 1.8-3.5 tonnes	Teeth: U16-24/L16-24

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Sperm whale (Physeter catodon)

Adult length: 11-18m	Adult weight: 20-50 tonnes	Teeth: U0/L36-50

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Baleen Whales

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Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Adult length: 7-10m	Adult weight: 5-15 tonnes	Baleen: 230-360 each side

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Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Adult length: 18-22m	Adult weight: 30-80 tonnes	Baleen: 260-480 each side

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Beaked Whales

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Cuvier's whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

Adult length: 5.5-7m	Adult weight: 2-3 tonnes	Teeth: U0/L2

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Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens)

Adult length: 4-5m	Adult weight: 1-1.3 tonnes	Teeth: U0/L2

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