Cetacean ID query
Hello,
I would be grateful of any opinions on this cetacean seen a few days ago (14th Dec ’25), from Mirbat in Southern Oman.
Initially we thought this to be a False Killer Whale, but the dorsal doesnt appear hooked enough, and others have suggested that there should be more distance between the dorsal fin and blowhole in false killer. The animal was moving very slowly, unlike a Dolphin (although i appreciate some Bottlenose can be large and Blackfish like).
Melon-headed Whale could be a reasonable fit, but Pygmy Killer Whale, Dwarf Sperm Whale and Rough-toothed Dolphin have also been suggested (given colour contrast and the dark blotching).
Ultimately i’m a bit stumped, and would appreciate others thoughts!
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Jon Hall
Hi Sam, Todd Pusser – who is a world leading cetacean expert – says this is a Dwarf Sperm Whale. “Large broad-based dorsal fin 2/3 of the way back” and you describe their typical swimming behaviour perfectly. Sounds right to me too!