True's beaked whale (p. 77). These are the only three species in which
the teeth are located close together near the tip of the lower jaw.
(_Photo by K. C. Balcomb._)]

[Illustration: Figure 77.--Various views of a herd of five or six
unidentified beaked whales, possibly dense-beaked whales, 12 miles off
Pokai Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The animals were very shy and had low
indistinct blows, making them difficult to spot and track. As they
surfaced, individuals frequently bucked their heads and slapped the chin
against the surface, rather than rolling. They did not raise their tail
flukes when beginning their long dives. (_Photos by E. Shallenberger,
Sea Life Park, Hawaii._)

(Because so little is known of beaked whales every encounter should be
recorded in as much detail as possible.)]

[Illustration: Figure 78.--Adult male beaked whales, showing the body
profile and the relative positions of the teeth. Remember that the teeth
of females and immature males are concealed beneath the gums. (_Drawing
by L. Winn._)]

TRUE'S BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon minis_ True 1913

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

True's beaked whales reach a length of at least 16 feet (4.9 m) long.
They are chunky in midbody and narrow rapidly towards the tail, closely
resembling goosebeaked whales (p. 70). In overall body shape, the head
is small with a slight indentation in the area of the blowhole, a slight
bulge to the forehead, and a pronounced beak. The flippers are small
(from one-fourteenth to one-tenth the body length). The dorsal fin is
small, slightly falcate, located in the latter third of the back, and
followed by a pronounced ridge on the tail stock. The flukes, which
sometimes contain a very slight notch, are broad (to almost one-fifth
the body length).

True's beaked whales are dull black to dark gray on the back, lighter
slate gray on the sides, and white on the belly. The body is frequently
covered with light colored spots or splotches and bears numerous pairs
of scratch marks, presumably tooth rakes (Fig. 76).

The flippers are all black and are attached in the dark coloration of
the animal's side. The flukes are dark above and below.

May Be Confused With

True's beaked whales are most likely to be confused with goosebeaked
whales (p. 70) but may also be confused with any of the other beaked
whales species (p. 74 and Fig. 78).

Distribution

True's beaked whales appear to be primarily temp