- Length
- 1,100–1,800 cm
- Weight
- 15–45 t
Presence in the Strait
Common summer visitor. From March to July it is regular over the deepest water of the Strait, between the Camarinal sill and the central channel, almost always adult and subadult males alone or in small groups. The Mediterranean population is endangered, and ship strikes are a documented cause of death here.
Identification
The huge, squarish head makes up a third of the body. The blow is angled forward and to the left, which identifies it at a distance. Wrinkled skin, no true dorsal fin: a low hump followed by knuckles down to the tail. Raises its broad, triangular flukes when diving. Dives of forty minutes or more between breaths.
Movements
Crosses between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean through the Strait. The same animals have been seen again in successive years. Concentrates in spring and early summer, and is scarce in autumn and winter.
Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 9 September 2026.