Cetaceans, Goa (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

Can anyone suggest an ID for these which were taken off Goa in c1998.

I was told at the time that two species are regular here, Pan-tropical Spotted being one, can't remember what the other was?

 

[Farnboro John]

They have a Pilot Whale look to me.

John

 

[Pierre van der Wielen]

Can anyone suggest an ID for these which were taken off Goa in c1998.

I was told at the time that two species are regular here, Pan-tropical Spotted being one, can't remember what the other was?

The other regular one (at least in the '90's) is Indian Ocean humpback dolphin but the animals on your pictures look very much like pilot whale.

Pierre

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks guys, Long / Short-finned, I know it;s maybe not possible to tell?

 

[Farnboro John]

Not from those photos (no offence). Maybe on range if you're happy with that?

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

Not from those photos (no offence). Maybe on range if you're happy with that?

John

Go on then, I saw Long-finned off the Scillies, have I got the set?

 

[Farnboro John]

Looking at the distribution maps on Google, Indian Ocean should be rock-solid Short-finned Pilot Whale, so unless somebody knows better I should think you have.

John

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I'm adding these photos just for comparison, because they clearly aren't the same species.

One morning in January 2015 I went onto the beach simply to use it as a convenient means to walk to some birdy habitat about a mile from our hotel (Candolim). Unusually, there was no ocean swell coming in and the sea was as flat as a millpond. No sunbathers or swimmers had arrived yet and a mark on the smooth surface just a few yards from the beach caught my eye. A group of about 5 or so Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphins were feeding right in front of me.

Right place, right time.