Bottlenose whale

Northern bottlenose whale on a stamp

The bottlenose whales ( Hyperoodon ) are a genus of beaked whales. There are two types, the Northern Bottlenose Whale ( Hyperoodon ampullatus ) and the Southern bottlenose whale (H. planifrons ). Since the northern species lives also in European waters, it is unlike the other beaked whales relatively well known.

The species are very similar and would be difficult to distinguish, they would not live in different areas of distribution. They are 6-8 m, exceptionally well over 9 feet tall. Males are generally larger than females. The coloration varies with age. Newborn bottlenose whales are brown, adolescent animals appear yellow-brown, and old bottlenose whales are whitish.

Like all beaked whales live bottlenose whales in the open ocean and avoid the proximity of the coast. They prefer cold water and come in summer in Treibeisregionen ago. Depths are 1,000 m, and probably considerably more. Regularly stay bottlenose whales over thirty minutes under water. In one case, two hours diving were stopped, which is a record among the whales. In the great depths of the bottlenose whale in search of its food, which consists mainly of squid and to a smaller proportion of fish and starfish.