Gervais’ beaked whale fact sheet

Gervais’ beaked whales have
only been identified a handful of times at sea because they are not often seen
on the surface and they are difficult to distinguish from other beaked whale
species. They are very similar in appearance to True’s beaked whales, so individuals can often only be confirmed by close examination of stranded individuals.
Little is known about their behaviour, but they are thought to form groups of just a few
individuals. Like other beaked whales they feed on fish and squid and spend
only an estimated 8% of their time on the surface. They are thought to be able
to dive to at least 1,500 meters deep.