Who's Who in the Whitsundays 

Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whale

The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale.  Adults range in length from 14-17 metres and weigh up to 40 metric tons.  The humpback whale has a distinctive body shape with long pectoral fins and bony knobs on its head and lower jaw.  Individual humpback whales can be identified by tail fluke pigmentation patterns - kind of like a fingerprint!

Balaenoptera acutorostrata unnamed subspecies 

Dwarf Minke Whale 

The dwarf minke whale is an unnamed subspecies of the common or northern minke whale.  Adults reach a maximum length of about 8 metres and have a distinct colour pattern found only in this subspecies.  Dwarf minke whales have pectoral fins that are white at the base with a dark tip, a white shoulder patch where the pectoral fin joins the body, and a dark patch that extends in front of the pectoral fin onto the throat.  Similar to the humpback whale, the pectoral fin and shoulder pattern can be used to identify individuals. 

Physeter macrocephalus 

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales.  They have extremely large and bulbous square heads that makes up around 1/3 of their total body length. They have a single asymmetrical blow hole at the front left side of their head, small spatula-shaped pectoral fins, a small hump in place of the dorsal fin, and a large powerful tail.  They are among the most sexually dimorphic of all cetaceans with males averaging 16 metres and 45 tonnes and females averaging 11 metres and 15 tonnes.  

Pseudorca crassidens

False Killer Whale

The false killer whale is a member of the oceanic dolphin family.  They are black or dark grey with a slightly lighter underside.  They have slender bodies with elongated, tapered heads, a sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and long, strongly curved pectoral fins with a pronounced corner or bend giving the fin an 'S' shape that is unique to this species.  They reach a maximum size of 6 metres in males and 5 metres in females.  They are known to form pods of up to 50 and can also form pods with other dolphin species, such as the bottlenose dolphin.  

Globicephala macrorhynchus  

Short-Finned Pilot Whale

The short-finned pilot whale is one of the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. They are black to dark grey/brown, have thick tail stock, pointed tail flukes, a bulbous head that is more pronounced in older males and less pronounced in females, and a broad, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. They have been reported as highly playful and social and typically travel in family pods of 10 - 30, but have been observed in groups of several hundred. 

Sousa sahulensis

Australian Humpback Dolphin

The Australian humpback dolphin is one of four recognised humpback dolphin species.  Known size ranges from 1-2.7 metres.  The dorsal fin is short, wide, and triangular and lacks the dorsal "Hump" typical in other humpback dolphin species.  They have a long, cylindrical beak, a distinctive dark dorsal feature that resembles a cape, and a slight melon-shaped swelling on the forehead.  Australian humpback dolphins tend to be relatively shy and less active than bottlenose dolphins. 

Orcaella heinsohni

Australian Snubfin Dolphin

The Australian snubfin dolphin was described as a species in 2005, separating them from the Irrawaddy dolphin. They are subtly tricoloured with brownish tops, light brown sides, and a white belly.  Unlike other dolphin species in Australia, they have a rounded forehead.  They also have a very small "snubby" dorsal fin and the tail flukes have a jagged trailing edge. Australian snubfin dolphins are generally boat shy and have low surface profiles, but they have exhibited the unique behaviour of spitting water. 

Tursiops truncatus

Common Bottlenose Dolphin 

The common bottlenose dolphin occurs in almost all tropical and temperate regions.  They are a dark to light grey colouring that fades to white underneath. They have a short beak, a single blowhole, and a hooked dorsal fin.  They are between 2 - 4 metres and weigh 150 - 650 kilograms.  Common bottlenose dolphins are known to be curious and approachable and can live in pods of up to 150 individuals.  Individual dolphins can be recognised over time by distinctive nicks and scarring on their dorsal fin. 

Delphinus delphis

Common Dolphin

The common dolphin is one of the most abundant and familiar dolphins in the world. They are medium-sized and adults range from 1.9 - 2.5 metres and can weigh between 80 - 235 kilograms.  Their colour pattern is quite unusual with dark backs, white bellies, dark patches around the eyes, and an hourglass pattern on each side coloured light grey, yellow, or gold in front and a dirty grey in the back.  Some individuals may have muddied colours, making the pattern difficult to spot, in which case attention should be paid to the face.