Pygmy Sperm Whale

The pygmy sperm whale is one of two living species in the family Kogiidae. It is bluish grey on the back and sides, with a creamy, occasionally pinkish underside, and it grows to about 3.5–3.8 m and 400–450 kg. A newborn is about 1.2 m long and weighs about 50 kg. It is not often sighted at sea, and most of what is known comes from stranded specimens (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found throughout tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It hunts by echolocation and has an unusually large hyoid bone, presumably for suction feeding. Gestation averages 9–11 months and, unusually for a cetacean, the single calf is born head first; calves are weaned at about a year. Great white sharks and killer whales may prey on it, and it has never been hunted on a large scale.