This site is indebted to the writings of Lyall Watson (amongst others), for his amazing and well-researched book Whales of the World, illustrated by Tom Ritchie.

GOOSEBEAK WHALE (CUVIER'S) Ziphius cavirostris

We use the descriptive name Goosebeak Whale, which draws attention to the animal's ziphid affinities without actually calling it a beaked whale, which name we reserve for the genus Mesoplodon. Description Medium; length averages 6.4 m (21 ft), with a maximum (for females) of 7 m (23 ft); a record of 8.5 m. (28 ft) seems exaggerated or possibly confused with the Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus /5); calves are about 2.1 m (7 ft) at birth. Weight averages 3,000 kg (3.5 tons), with a maximum of 4,500 kg (5 tons).

A whale with the typical spindle-shaped body of all ziphids, the Goosebeak is perhaps a little stouter than most, but not as heavily built as the fourtooth whales of Berardius. The head is relatively small at 10 per cent of body length and not only ends in a distinct neck, but has a most unusual and characteristic scooped-out hollow just behind the blowhole. There is a stubby beak which, coupled with the short cleft of the mouth, gives it a gooselike profile. In adult males the points of 2 large teeth on the tip of the lower jaw protrude.
The flippers are small and rounded and, in Goosebeak Whales at least in the Pacific, fold back into marked depres¬sions or 'flipper pockets' on the flank. The fin is relatively tall (up to 40 cm or 16 inches) and sweeps back in a sharklike curve. The actual tail is surprisingly small. Unlike most other ziphids, Goosebeak Whales have a tiny (l-cm or half-inch) notch in the centre of the broad tail flukes.

The colouring is peculiar and has doubtless contributed to the rash of 'new' discoveries. Almost every Goosebeak Whale looks a little different from the others. In the Indopacific, sienna is a common basic colour, grading all the way from mustard brown to darkest umber. In most individuals the backs are darker than the bellies, but in many the pattern becomes totally reversed so that an individual with a pale maize back might have a black stomach. Both variations also commonly occur with a head that is almost white. This is usual for older males, but it can occur in either sex at any age.

In the Atlantic various shades of grey or smoke blue seem to be more common, though these too may be combined with the pale pattern on the head. The eye is usually included in this light area and is often marked by a black patch or ring. Juveniles tend to be lighter than their parents.

All individuals have some scar marks. Oval white patches are most common around the belly and are caused, it seems, by lampreys and by the females of the parasitic crustacean Livoneca ravnaudi; but the very characteristic double-track scars produced by the teeth of other Goosebeaks are confined largely to the backs of adult males.

Field Identification The Goosebeak is not uncommon in deep water. All our sightings have been of groups of whales, travel¬ling at a leisurely pace of 5-6 kph (3 knots). Every breathing sequence begins with a view of the rounded forehead (the beak is never seen), followed by an almost immediate blow, which is unhurried and usually forms a low and inconspicu¬ous fan of spray. After the spout clears, the back rolls gently over, providing a good view of the curved fin before the whale sinks gently out of sight. The normal rhythm seems to involve a series of blows at intervals of about 20 seconds, between which the whale can be seen cruising just below the surface, then a deeper dive in which the tail is raised as the whale plunges almost vertically down .

On rare occasions Goosebeak Whales may breach, leaping clear of the water and falling clumsily back again. They seem on the whole to be rather shy of ships and we have found them difficult to approach. The possibility of confusion with almost every other species of ziphid exists, but if the beak cannot be seen and the animals in question are clearly operating as a large and cohesive social group in warm water, then the chances are that you are seeing Goosebeak Whales.

Goosebeaks seem to live mainly on squid and deep-water fish caught during their long dives, lasting anything up to 30 minutes, but they also eat crabs and starfish.
Solitary males with white heads are sometimes seen, but the normal social unit seems to be an extended family pod of around 15 individuals. Both sexes mature when roughly 5 m (17 ft) long and, as befits a tropical species, show no marked breeding season. Calves seem to be born all year round after an unknown gestation period.