Whale, dolphin and sea birds ID cards

for Pacific Islands Regional Fisheries Observers

PIRFO

Prepared by the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia, 2016

© Pacific Community, 2016

These identification cards are produced by the Pacific Community (SPC) to help with the identification of species of special interest (protected species) encountered by Fisheries Observers while onboard commercial tuna boats that fish in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). The species included in these cards are the ones commonly recorded by observers on tuna vessels operating in the WCPO. The cards can be easily accessed by observers while working on deck during fishing operations to verify and correctly identify species. The cards also assist in training observers operating within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Convention Area.

Printing of these cards was made possible through financial assistance provided by the Japan Trust Fund.

This project was coordinated by SPC’s Oceanic Fisheries Programme Fisheries Monitoring Section and Fisheries Information Section. Colour illustrations by Hazel Adams (p. 4-8), Youngmi Choi (p. 11-38); black and white illustrations courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This publication is based on the Marine species identification manual for horizontal longline fishermen by Chapman et al. (2006). First published – 2006. Original text: English

Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data

Pacific Islands Regional Fisheries Observers (PIRFO): whale, dolphin and sea birds ID cards for Pacific Islands Regional Fishe-ries Observers / prepared by the Pacific Community 1. Marine fishes – Identification – Oceania. 4. Fishery management – Oceania. 2. Marine fishes – Classification – Oceania. 5. Fishes – Identification – Oceania. 3. Marine mammals – Identification – Oceania.

I. Title II. Pacific Community597.0995 AACR2ISBN: 978-982-00-0994-3

Baleen whales 3

Baleen whales

Baleen plates

Blowholes

Flukes

Rostrum

Ventral groovesFlipper

(pectoral fin)Flanks

Peduncle or tail stock

Dorsal fin

4 Baleen whales

BLW

Blue whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Maximum length: 30 m

Small dorsal fin located far back on the body

Body blue/grey mottled colouration

Baleen whales 5

FIW

Fin whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Maximum length: 24 mWhite lower right jaw

Single median ridge on the rostrum

6 Baleen whales

SIW

Sei whale

Balaenoptera borealis

Maximum length: 18 m

Large falcate dorsal fin

Single distinct ridge on the rostrum

Baleen whales 7

BRW

Bryde’s whale

Balaenoptera edeni

Three distinct longitudinal ridges on the rostrum

Maximum length: 15 m

8 Baleen whales

MIW

Minke whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

White patch on each flipper

Dorsal fin is tall and falcate

White underside belly

Maximum length: 9 m

Baleen whales 9

HUW

Humpback whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Elongated flippers

Knobby protrusions on rostrum and pectoral flippers

Barnacles on the chin Distinct scalloped edge with a white-flecked underside

Maximum length: 16 m

Toothed whales 10

Toothed whales

Dorsal fin (falcate – shaped like a sickle)

Fluke notch

Flukes

Navel Uro-genital slit

Mammary slits (female only)

BellyFlipper

CreaseMouth

Mouth line

Beak or rostrum

EarBlowhole

Forehead (melon)

Cape (colour, depth and size may depend on sex, age, life status and where they are seen in the water)

Toothed whales 11

SPW

Sperm whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Low dorsal hump followed by a series of knuckles

Body appears wrinkled

Unique “blow” for a cetacean, with blow directed at an angle forward and to the left

Huge square head

Maximum length: 18 m

Toothed whales 12

PYW

Pygmy sperm whale

Kogia breviceps

Body may appear wrinkled

Dorsal fin tiny, located after mid-back

Short flippers located far forward on bodyNo creases on throat

Small narrow jaw

Maximum length: 3.7 m

Toothed whales 13

DWW

Dwarf sperm whale

Kogia simus

Dorsal fin tiny, located after mid-back

Body may appear wrinkled

Short flippers located far forward on bodyCreases on throat

Small narrow jaw

Maximum length: 2.7 m

BCW

Cuvier’s beaked whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Toothed whales 14

White to cream blotches on underside

Long white “scratches”on upper body and sides (males)

Two small circular teeth at tip of lower jaw (males)

Melon forehead(males white / less distinct in females)

Shortindistinct beak

Maximum length: 7 m

BBW

Blainville’s beaked whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Toothed whales 15

Dark bluish-grey upperside / light grey underside

Pale belly

Pale blotchesall over body “scratches” (males)

Flattened forehead

Strong arched lower jaw

Large horn-like teeth erupt from lower jaw (males)

Maximum length: 5 m

FAW

False killer whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Toothed whales 16

Dorsal fin with pointed tip, located mid-back

Dark body

Indistinct cape when viewed from boat

Distinctive hump on front margin of flippers

Maximum length: 6 m

Straight mouth line

Long slim tapered head

SHW

Short finned pilot whales

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Toothed whales 17

Melon shaped head extends past mouth

Upturned mouth lineFlippers gently curved, pointed tips

Cape or saddle behind dorsal fin often visible

Dorsal fin base broad, rounded tip, located well forward

Dark body

Maximum length: 6 m

Toothed whales 18

MEW

Melon-headed Whale

Peponocephala electra

Dorsal fin tall, falcateHead triangular

when seen from above

Cape dips below dorsal fin

Dark body

Sharply pointed flippersWhite lips

Maximum length: 2.7 m

Toothed whales 19

Pygmy Killer Whale

Feresa attenuata

KPW

Dark body

Dorsal fin tall, falcateNarrow cape

Long flippers with rounded tipsLips, chin and belly white

Head slightly melon shaped

Maximum length: 3 m

Dolphins 20

Dolphins

Beak

Eye

Forehead

Cape

Mouth

Flipper

Navel

Anus

Uro-genital slit

Mammary slits (females only)

Dorsal fin (falcate – shaped like a sickle)

Belly

Flukes

Fluke notch

Dolphins 21

DCZ

Long beaked common Dolphin

Delphinus capensis

Long beak

Flattish forehead

Wide flipper stripe to mouthFlipper to anus stripe moderately to strongly developed

Distinct cape, V-shaped below dorsal fin

Maximum length: 2.4 m

Dolphins 22

DCO

Short beaked common dolphin

Delphinus delphis Light patchoften present on dorsal fin and flippers

Distinct cape, V-shaped below dorsal fin

Flipper to anal stripe weak or absent

Light yellow patch

Shorter beak

Rounded forehead

Eye patch contrasting in colour

Thin flipper stripe not approaching mouth, narrowing ahead of eyes

Maximum length: 2 m

Dolphins 23

DST

Striped Dolphin

Stenella coeruleoalba

Distinct cape markings

Thin stripe from eye to anus

Dark pointed flippers located in white body area

Moderately long dark beak

Thin stripe from eye to flipper

Maximum length: 2.6 m

Dolphins 24

DBZ

Indo – Pacific bottle nose dolphin

Tursiops aduncus

No distinct body markingsPointed flippers

Longer beak

Forehead more gently sloping

Tall falcate dorsal fin

Maximum length: 2.7 m

Dolphins 25

DBO

Common bottle-nose dolphin

tursiops truncatus

all falcate dorsal fin

No distinct body markings

Short beak

Pointed flippers

Blunt and abruptly sloping forehead

Maximum length: 3.8 m

Dolphins 26

DPN

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

Stenella attenuataDark falcate dorsal fin

Distinct cape dips deeply before dorsal fin

Spotted body markings that develop with age

Dark band from eye to flipper

Long, narrow white tipped beak

Maximum length: 2.6 m

Dolphins 27

DSI

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris Tall, dorsal fin varies from triangular to falcate

White belly

Long pointed flippers

Stripe from eye to flipper

Very long and narrowblack-tipped beak

Maximum length: 2.1 m

Dolphins 28

Fraser’s Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

FDR

Small pointed flippers

Small dorsal fin

Short beak

Broad face to anus stripeBelly usually creamy or pinkish

Maximum length: 2.7 m

Dolphins 29

Rough-toothed Dolphin

Steno bredanensis

RTD

Yellow or pinkish “scratches”White to pinkish belly

Cape that narrows between eye and dorsal fin

Sloping head

Long beak, often white

Maximum length: 2.8 m

Dolphins 30

Risso’s Dolphin

Grampus griseus

DRR

Blunt head, no beak

Tall, slender, falcate dorsal fin, darker than body

Distinctive cleft in forehead

Body with extensive “scratches”

Maximum length: 4 m

Dolphins 31

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

KIW

Dorsal fin straight and tall on males,lower and slightly falcate on females and juveniles

Distinct black and white markings on body and head

Maximum length: 9 m

Sea birds 32

Sea birds

Plumage

Back

Tail

Leg Foot

Wing

Body

Eye

Bill

Stomach or belly

Nostril

Sea Birds 33

Black-footed albatross

Diomedea nigripes

DKN

White ring around base of bill

Dark head, body and wings

White patch behind eyes

Black-brown bill

Northern hemisphere distribution

Sea birds 34

Laysan albatross

Diomedea immutabilis

DIZ

Dark upper wings and back

Flesh coloured bill with grey tip

White head, neck and stomach

Dark ring around eyes

Northern hemisphere distribution

Sea Birds 35

Albatrosses

Diomedeidae

ALZ

Species in this family have:• Large hooked bill• Large birds• Wing span up to 3.5 m• External nostrils at base of bill,

one on each side

Sea birds 36

Boobies and Gannets

Sulidae

SZV

Species in this family have:• Large birds• Long wings with wing span up to 2.2 m• Wedge-shaped tail• Stout conical bill

Sea Birds 37

Petrels and Shearwaters

Procellariidae

PRX

Species in this family have:• Most species smaller in size

(wing span up to 1.5 m, but mainly less than 1 m) except for giant petrel (wing span up to 2.5 m)

• Nostrils united in a single tube on top of bill

Sea birds 38

Gulls,Terns and Skuas

Laridae

LRD

Species in this family have:• Generally smaller birds

(wing span up to 1 m),with skuas larger (wing span up to 1.8 m)

• Nostrils are plain openings on either side of bill

• Most birds have grey and white plumage, some with black on head and wings

Index

Albatrosses 35Balaenoptera acutorostrata 8Balaenoptera borealis 6Balaenoptera edeni 7Balaenoptera musculus 4Balaenoptera physalus 5Black-footed albatross 33Blainville’s beaked whale 15Blue whale 4Boobies 36Bryde’s whale 7Common bottle-nose dolphin 25Cuvier’s beaked whale 14Delphinus capensis 21Delphinus delphis 22Diomedea immutabilis 34Diomedea nigripes 33Diomedeidae 35Dwarf sperm whale 13False killer whale 16Feresa attenuata 19Fin whale 5

Fraser’s Dolphin 28Gannets 36Globicephala macrorhynchus 17Grampus griseus 30Gulls 38Humpback whale 9Indo – Pacific bottle nose dolphin 24Killer Whale 31Kogia breviceps 12Kogia simus 13Lagenodelphis hosei 28Laysan albatross 34Laridae 38Long beaked common Dolphin 21Melon-headed Whale 18Megaptera novaeangliae 9Mesoplodon densirostris 15Minke whale 8Orcinus orca 31Pantropical Spotted Dolphin 26Peponocephala electra 18Petrels 37Physeter macrocephalus 11Procellariidae 37

Pseudorca crassidens 16Pygmy Killer Whale 19Pygmy sperm whale 12Risso’s Dolphin 30Rough-toothed Dolphin 29Sei whale 6Shearwaters 37Short beaked common dolphin 22Short finned pilot whales 17Skuas 38Sperm whale 11Spinner Dolphin 27Stenella attenuata 26Stenella coeruleoalba 23Stenella longirostris 27Steno bredanensis 29Striped Dolphin 23Sulidae 36Terns 38Tursiops aduncus 24tursiops truncatus 25Ziphius cavirostris 14

PACIFIC COMMUNITYBP D5 • 98848 NOUMEA CEDEX • NEW CALEDONIA

Telephone: +687 26 20 00Facsimile: +687 26 38 18

Email: spc@spc.inthttp://www.spc.int/

Funding provided by the Japan Trust Fund of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Prepared for publication at the Pacific Community headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia, 2016

and printed in Australia by Norwood Industries Pty Ltd.