Fun Gervais' Beaked Whale Facts For Kids
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The Gervais' beaked whale is a member of the beaked whale family found in the waters of the Atlantic ocean in the northern hemisphere. They are also known as the 'Antillean beaked whale' or 'Gulf Stream beaked whale' and can be can also be spotted from Texas, New York, Florida, Jamaica, Trinidad, Mauritania, and Guinea Bissau.
These beaked whales are quite difficult to spot above water and do not blow much water out when they have to breathe. However, it has been observed that females might come nearer to the shore when it is time to give birth.
Gervais' beaked whales also serve as prey for killer whales and cookie-cutter sharks. Apart from that, they are also hunted in the Caribbean Islands for food. At times, they are also accidentally caught in the nets, which are spread due to commercial fishing activities.
They can dive pretty deep into the ocean waters and can remain underwater for a long time as well.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about the Gervais' beaked whale!
If you liked this article about Gervais' beaked whale facts, check out the other articles with amazing facts about the Pygmy beaked whale and Omara's whale.
Gervais' Beaked Whale Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Gervais' beaked whale?
A Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus) is a type of whale.
What class of animal does a Gervais' beaked whale belong to?
The Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus) belongs to the Mammalia class of animals and the family of Ziphiidae.
How many Gervais' beaked whales are there in the world?
The exact population of Gervais' beaked whales in the world currently has not yet been estimated by scientists and researchers.
Where does a Gervais' beaked whale live?
The Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais' beaked whale) is mostly found in the northern hemisphere - in the waters of the central and north Atlantic Ocean. This is why they can be spotted on the shores of North America, South America, Africa, and Europe.
These beaked whales are also seen near sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean Islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and the English channel.
What is a Gervais' beaked whale's habitat?
The Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais' beaked whale) prefers a range of habitats consisting of tropical or subtropical pelagic waters. Pelagic waters refer to ocean water. They mostly reside in warm temperate climate zone in the Atlantic but can also be found in colder zones.
Who do Gervais' beaked whales live with?
Not much is known about the social behavior of Gervais' beaked whales (Mesoplodon europaeus) since they can be spotted on infrequent occasions in their geographic range. It is assumed that they travel in small groups or in pairs far from the land.
How long does a Gervais' beaked whale live?
The average lifespan of a Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus) is approximately 27 years in the wild. However, there have been records of a whale of this species who lived for 48 years.
How do they reproduce?
Not much is known about the reproductive process of this marine species. Adult females become sexually mature when they grow up to a length of 15 ft (4.6 m).
Females are considered to give birth to one calf each year that is around 7 ft (2.1 m) in length. The weight of the newborn whale of this species is estimated to be around 176 lb (79.8 kg).
What is their conservation status?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has currently listed the Gervais' beaked whales under the category of 'Data Deficient.' This is because scientists have not yet been able to estimate the population of this species to assess its conservation status or level of risk.
Gervais' Beaked Whale Fun Facts
What do Gervais' beaked whales look like?
This marine species has a strong, spindle-shaped body. They also have a dorsal fin that resembles the dorsal fin of a shark.
The upper body of this marine species is dark gray or indigo blue in color, but the lower side of the body is light gray in color. The juveniles have a white-colored stomach.
Adult males can be distinguished easily from females by looking at their teeth. The males have obvious teeth in front of their lower jaw that can be seen even when their mouth is closed.
However, the teeth of females of this marine species remain hidden. The teeth of juveniles of this marine species also remain hidden if the mouth of these animals is closed.
The marine animals of this species have a protruding forehead and a thin beak that is of mid-length.
*Please note that this picture is of a Bainville beaked whale. If you have a picture of the Gervais' beaked whale, kindly email it to us at hello@kidadl.com.
How cute are they?
Unlike the beluga whale, there are not many pictures of these marine animals. This marine species is not very extraordinary to look at, and it is difficult to distinguish it from other types of beaked whales.
How do they communicate?
The Gulf Stream beaked whale primarily uses sound and echolocation to communicate with each other. This population also uses echolocation in order to travel through the deep waters of the sea and ocean and carry out hunting-related activities.
How big is a Gervais' beaked whale?
The length of these marine mammals falls within the range of 15-17 ft (4.6-5.2 m).
The blue whale is almost five to six times the length of this species as it can grow up to 82.5-100 ft (25-30 m) in length.
How fast can a Gervais' beaked whale swim?
Not much is known about the speed of this species while swimming. However, they are assumed to be a slow species since they put their flippers in small pockets in order to move forward in the water easily.
How much does a Gervais' beaked whale weigh?
The weight of these marine mammals has been observed to be approximately 2640 lb (1197.5 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no distinct names for the male or female Gervais' beaked whale. However, male whales are usually referred to as bulls, while female whales are referred to as cows.
What would you call a baby Gervais' beaked whale?
Following the standard terminology, baby Gervais' beaked whales are usually referred to as calves.
What do they eat?
The diet of Gervais' beaked whales (Mesoplodon europaeus) is carnivorous in nature. The diet of these animals consists of squids, viperfish, and shrimp.
Are they dangerous?
Gervais' beaked whales are not known to display dangerous behavior to humans.
Would they make a good pet?
Gervais' beaked whales cannot be kept pets as they thrive in a marine-related habitat. They are found in tropical pelagic waters and mostly reside in deep-sea or North Atlantic Ocean water in the north of the equator.
Did you know...
Gervais' beaked whales are susceptible to any artificial noise or sound in the ocean waters. In case of excessive underwater sound pollution, they may stop behaving normally. The sound may also lead to their displacement from their usual areas of habitat.
Most whales cannot breathe underwater, so they have to come to the surface of the water in order to take in the air. Beaked whales also come to the surface and inhale air through a blowhole. This blowhole is situated at the top of the heads of the beaked whales and helps them breathe.
Naming the Gervais' beaked whale
Gervais' beaked whales are named after Paul Gervais. Paul Gervais was a French scientist who identified this whale in 1855 for the first time.
What is life like for the Gervais' beaked whale?
Unlike the minke whales, not much is known about the life of the Gervais' beaked whale since they are rarely spotted or sighted in the North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or near the English Channel. This species is quite nervous and skittish, and they do not prefer to stay near human divers.
Researchers have also noted scarring on the body of adult males, which could mean that during the breeding season, the males might fight with other males while competing for attention from potential female mates.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these common dolphin facts and vaquita facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Whale Letter Coloring Pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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