The Sowerby's Beaked Whale

James G. Mead

The Sowerby's Beaked Whale, or Mesoplodon bidens reaches a length of 5 meters. It is about 2.4 to 2.7 meters in length at birth and can weigh 185 kilograms. They are generally dark charcoal gray, perhaps on the belly as well as the back, although some have been seen with lighter variations. They have light spots all over their bodies and a noticeably lighter belly in younger whales. They have two mandibular teeth that are situated at the middle of the snout, near the posterior end of the mandibular symphysis. They are visible in the males only. They are the northernmost whales of the Mesoplodon in the Atlantic. They can be found only in the cold temperate to subarctic North Atlantic, from Massachusetts to Newfoundland in American waters. They are more common in European waters being found in Iceland, Norway, Swedden, the Baltic Sea coast of Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, the British Isles, and as far south as Maderira.

Andrea Vanessa & Erica @ the Advanced Technologies Academy