I’ve seen a lot of confusion in identifying false killer whales, pilot whales, melon headed whales, and pigmy killer whales, which is understandable because they do look very similar.
here are some tips for identifying the different species:
False Killer Whale:
(top two pictures)
tall, falcate dorsal fin, positioned approximately at midback =
slender-bodied, 5-6 meters when fully grown
bluntly conical head
body is almost entirely dark except for light areas on the throat and chest
Pilot Whales**
(second set of pictures)
bulbous melon with no beak
robust body, 4.1-7.2 meters when fully grown
broad based, low profile, falcate dorsal fin positioned far forward on body
white or light gray “saddle” on back behind dorsal fin
tapering white or gray streak behind each eye (variable)
broad white or gray throat patch often called an “anchor patch”
**there are both long-finned and short-finned pilot whales. the greatest physical difference between long and short-finned pilot whales are the length of the pectoral fins. however some of the prominence of the white or gray markings differentiate by species as well.
Melon Headed Whale
(third set of pictures)
small, slender body, 2.7-2.8 meters when fully grown
little to no beak
a rounded melon that slopes downward at approximately a 45 degree angle
tall, falcate, and pointed dorsal fin, positioned at midback
body appears almost completely black
variable light gray or white ventral markings
often has light gray, pink, or white “lips”
Pigmy Killer Whale
(last two pictures)
small body, 2.5-2.6 meters when fully grown, robust front half of body, while the back half is slender.
no beak
rounded but not bulbous melon
tall, upright, and falcate dorsal fin, positioned at midback
irregular white ventral markings
hope this helps!
