Northern Bottlenose Whale

Growing to a length of up to 9.5 m, the northern bottlenose whale is recognisable by its short, dolphin-like beak, large, bulbous head (flatter in old males), and erect, hooked fin situated two-thirds along the back. On surfacing, it has a bushy blow, 2 m high, and slightly forward-pointing. The chocolate brown or dark grey upper parts become paler with age.

The northern bottlenose whale is a beaked whale (family Ziphiidae) that has a very distinctive bulbous melon (forehead) and a dolphin-like beak. Northern bottlenose whales are deep-water specialists found in the North Atlantic Ocean. They occur in small numbers off the Northern Isles and Western Isles of Scotland, and off the west coast of Ireland.