Cetaceans of Patagonia

Comerson’s dolphin (cephalorhynchus commersonii)

Size: up to 1.5metres

Weight: 50kg

Key for its identification: small, but robust body; some difficulty to see its face, high contrast between colours, dorsal and rounded fin. It’s easy to see it interacting with other species such as dolphins, seals and the right whale.

 

The comerson’s dolphin is a victim of the killer whale, and the nets of the coastal fishing (dozens a year). There have been several captured for Aquariums and oceanographers. In some places in Chile, they are still harpooning the comerson’s dolphin to be used for bait in the centollas’ (large crab) traps in the Magellan’s Strait.

Right whale (eubalanea australis)

size = up to 17 m

weight = male 45t.; female 40t.

key for its identification = long head with enormous callosities in a light tone, dorsal area without fin and emits a strong shoot of water in a V form.

 

Peale´s Dolphin (lagenorhynchus australis)

size =up to 2 m

weight = 100 Kg.

Key for its identification = dark face and neck, dark pectoral fins with typical white mark in axial zone.

Dusky dolphin (lagenorhynchus obscurus)

size = up to 2 m

weight = 80 Kg.

key for its identification = the most acrobatic of all dolphins, the mouth is encircled by pigmented dark grey, white neck.

 

Delfín de Risso (grampus griseus)

size = up to 4 m

weight = 400 Kg.

Key for its identification = almost all white, with lots of scars in lines.

Delfín liso austral (lissodelphis peronii)

size = up to 3 m

weight = 100 Kg.

Key for its identification = no dorsal fin, bicoloured

Bottel Nose Dolphin (tursiops truncatus)

size = up to 4 m

weight = 300 Kg.

Key for its identification = forehead with a globular aspect, very distinct from the face, caudal fin, wide and strong.

Delfín Piloto – Calderón de aletas largas (globicephala melas)

size = up to 6 m

weight = 2000 Kg.

Key for its identification = homogeneous black coloration, very long pectoral fins, grey patch in the neck.

Killer whale (orcinus orca)

size = up to 9 m

weight = male 8 T; female 5 T

key for its identification = very high caudal fin, bicoloured contrast, oval pectoral fins, genital zone with trident design.

Falsa Orca (fake killer whale) (pseudorca crassidens)

size = up to 6 m

weight = 1500 Kg.

Key for its identification = pectoral fins in S form, homogeneous black coloration; it often gets stranded on the beach.    

As well as seals and marine elephants, sailing in Patagonia also enables observation of extensive bird fauna (penguins, petrels, eagles, cormorants and owls).