Mammals
Southern Bottlenose Whale
Hyperoodon planifrons
Circling Antarctica in a band of cold, productive water, a southern bottlenose whale dives to extreme depths in search of squid, its bulbous forehead and dolphin-like beak marking it as the southern counterpart to a very similar whale found on the opposite side of the planet.
Overview
The southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons, is a Least Concern marine mammal native to ocean and polar habitat across circumpolar Southern Ocean waters surrounding Antarctica. Its extraordinarily deep diving ability, distinctive bulbous head shape, and close relationship to its North Atlantic counterpart make it one of the more physically distinctive and least understood beaked whale species found anywhere in Antarctic waters.
Two related whales, two separate hemispheres
Sharing a near-identical body plan and lifestyle with the northern bottlenose whale on the far side of the globe, the southern bottlenose whale demonstrates how a single evolutionary strategy for deep-ocean squid hunting can arise independently in polar waters thousands of kilometres apart.
Status
Least Concern, though population size is not precisely known, with the species thought to remain relatively widespread across its circumpolar Southern Ocean range with no major documented threats.
Southern Bottlenose Whale: common questions
How can you identify a southern bottlenose whale?
This species has a distinctively bulbous forehead and a dolphin-like beak, features that give it its common name and help separate it from other whale species found in the same waters.
How deep can a southern bottlenose whale dive?
This species is capable of diving to extreme depths for extended periods, among the most accomplished divers of any whale species that researchers have studied.
Is the southern bottlenose whale the same species as the northern bottlenose whale?
No, this species is closely related to the northern bottlenose whale found in the North Atlantic, but the two occupy entirely separate hemispheres and are considered distinct species.
Why is so little known about the southern bottlenose whale?
This species remains relatively poorly studied compared with many other whale species, largely due to the difficulty of observing animals that dive so deep in such a remote part of the Southern Ocean.