Resident groups of the majestic Pilot whale live off the coasts of Tenerife, which is why we see them regularly off La Gomera. Their body varies from 4 – 6 m, the males being larger than the females.
Calves are born after a gestation time of about 15 months measuring about 1.4 m. They are a nocturnal species, hunting for squid and calamari. The dorsal fin sits well before the centre of the body, their skin is dark grey or black. They have a rounded forehead, called „melon“.
Pilot Whales can dive for up to 10 min. and longer. They prefer deep waters such as the edges of continental shelves or deep submarine trenches. Pilot whales have very strong social bonds within the group, and therefore are more often stranded than other whale species.
They are likely to be met together with a group of Bottlenose dolphins, and often they allow whale watching boats to approach them very closely.
