Mammals · Artiodactyla · Ziphiidae

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It holds the record for the deepest and longest dive ever documented in any mammal, with one recorded descent of almost 3,000 metres lasting 3 hours and 42 minutes.

Weight

2 t – 3 t

Size

4.5 m – 7.5 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Variable activity Solitary Ocean Mammal

30countries 40parks 11dive sites2same family

Fun facts

récordIt holds the diving record among marine mammals, with documented dives beyond 2,900 metres lasting more than three hours.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marine mammal)
Habitat & environment: Deep oceanic waters worldwide, from the tropics to the poles, generally beyond the continental shelf
Birth weight: 300 kg; 2.1-2.7 m long at birth
Size at birth: 2.1 - 2.7 m long at birth
Sexual maturity: 7-11 years (both sexes, reached on attaining full body size)
Gestation / incubation: 12 months
Litter / clutch size: 1 young, with an interval between births of 2-3 years

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); NOAA Fisheries; National Marine Sanctuary Foundation; SightMe; Futurismo; Animal Diversity Web; SeaLifeBase; Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA; Wikipedia (Cuvier's beaked whale)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round in deep water; in the Mediterranean the sightings are concentrated in the Alborán Sea and the Ligurian Sea, although it surfaces very little between dives.