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| Distribution |
Present throughout NC waters offshore, though mainly in warmer waters, and thus perhaps scarce in inshore waters north of Cape Hatteras (in the Labrador Current). There are records for seven of the eight coastal counties in the state.
Subtropical and tropical oceans/waters around the globe. In the Atlantic, occurs mainly north to NJ. |
| Abundance |
In NC waters, numerically fairly common to common; however, as it occurs in often large groups, it can be missed on many boat trips. The species is one of the more numerous cetaceans off the NC coastline, exceeded in numbers by the Common Bottlenose Dolphin but perhaps as numerous or more so than Atlantic Spotted Dolphin. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History mammal collections (2021) lists 72 stranding records for NC, though around 30-35 represent two mass strandings (15 January 2005 -- Dare County, and 12 October 1973 -- Carteret County). |
| Seasonal Occurrence |
Webster et al. (1995) found a statistical difference in seasonal strandings of the species along the NC coast, with more in the cooler months; of the 18 stranded, all but three were between December and May. The 72 NMNH strandings (as of 2021) are from most months of the year, except none for September. However, these stranding dates seem odd, as the species is frequently seen offshore in the warmer months. Likely, the species is probably resident all year in our waters, as it is not known to be strongly migratory. |
| Habitat |
Warmer waters, generally in the Gulf Stream and farther out to sea. |
| Behavior |
Sluggish for a fairly small cetacean. It does not emerge far out of the water like some smaller species, but is seen mostly moving slowly, in pods of 20 or more, fairly horizontally at and near the water surface. |
| Comments |
The species is easily confused with the closely related Long-finned Pilot Whale, which favors cooler waters. Considering its relative abundance, the IUCN lists the Short-finned Pilot Whale as Data Deficient. Note that the two pilot whales are actually dolphins (Family Delphinidae) and not true whales. |
| Origin |
Native |
| NC List |
Official |
 State Rank |
S4M |
| State Status |
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| Global Rank |
G5 |
| Federal Status |
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| subspecies |
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| other_comName |
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| synonym |
Globicephala macrorhyncha |
