The Northern Bottlenose Whale

Ivar Christensen

The Northern Bottlenose Whale, or Hyperoodon ampullatus, is larger than any beaked dolphin. They appear to be dolphinlike and they have a bottle-nosed beak. Northern bottlenose whales reach a maximum of 9.8 meters and can weigh tons. The Northern bottlenose whales are far more common than the Southern bottlenose whale. Younger whales are a chocolate brown but as they mature the remain chocolate brown on the top and lighter on the sides and belly. They have one pair of fully developed conical teeth in the lower jaw. The males have more stouter teethe than the female. They often travel in groups of four to ten. The minimum length of sexual maturity is 6.7 meters for females and 7.3 meters for males. These whales are deep divers. After a deep dive they usually remain at the surface for ten minutes or more. Two factors have made the Northern Bottlenose Whale vunerable to overhunting. First, it approaches vessels, and stays near a drifting craft for a long time. Second, members of a pod will desert a wounded companion until it is dead. They enjoy consuming squid, pelagic fish such as herring and sea stars. Killer Whales are their only knowledgeable natural predator. These animals live to be approximately 37 years old. They are found in the cold temperate to artic waters of the North Atlantic. They are known to prefer deep waters. This whale may be confused with the Cuvier beaked whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, and even minke and sperm whales. They can be found along the edge of the continental shelf off Newfoundland and Labrador during autumn and winter where most sightings are made. The are found mainly in deep Arctic to temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. In the North Atlantic Ocean they can be found from Savis Strait south to Rhode Island. In Arctic waters they are found around Scotland, Norway, and Iceland. Their population size is unknown but it is known that they are threaten by pollution and human disturbance.

Andrea Vanessa & Erica @ the Advanced Technologies Academy