Black-bodied dolphins that aren't dolphins. Pods of 20+, deep divers that surface in lazy resting rafts.
Pilot whales aren't whales, they're the second-largest member of the dolphin family after orcas. Bulbous melon-shaped heads, jet-black bodies, and tight matriarchal pods of 10–30 individuals that travel together for life. The short-finned species ranges across tropical Indo-Pacific; the long-finned is temperate Atlantic.
They're deep divers, squid-hunting forays to 600+ metres, holding breath 15 minutes at a stretch, and surface in lazy 'resting rafts' between dives. Encounters happen on Red Sea liveaboards (transit between sites), Sri Lanka whale-watching tours (off Mirissa, Trincomalee), and Madeira/Tenerife dedicated charters.
In-water encounters are increasingly rare due to regulation, most sightings are surface-only from boats. Pair a Sri Lanka or Red Sea dive trip with a whale-watch day for the best chance.
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This species hasn't been logged at any of our partner sites yet, destination + season data will appear here once we've confirmed a reliable spot.
We're still curating destinations where this species can be reliably encountered. Check back soon, or chat with us for a custom itinerary.
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