Rarely Seen Beaked Whales a Harbinger of Majesty, Doom

Paging David Attenborough ...

June 2, 2017 9:00 am

Guadalupe Island is best known for its plethora of great whites.

But now when we think of those shark infested waters, we’ll also think of Cuvier beaked whales thanks to this drone video caught by Sea Shepherd’s R/V Martin Sheen.

The footage shows a mother and her calf surfacing for air. From this distance they almost resemble large dolphins thanks to their beaked noses. They’re considered rare not only because of a small population, but because they can dive 10,000 feet below where they can remain for two hours. Sperm whales, by contrast, can reach 7,000 feet.

Another interesting aspect seen in the video: Cuvier’s beaked whales turn white as they age, and you can see this, too, in the mother whale.

The video is set to some peaceful music, which makes watching these gentle giants a soothing balm to a day of internet consumption.

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