Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Cuvier's Beaked Whale (scient. Ziphius cavirostris) is a large whale, which is found in almost all seas of the world. They have been observed many times in several places of Greece, with Crete being one of them. These whales reach a length of 5.5-7m and a weight of 3-6 tons. Their body is robust, with dark brown or gray hues. It feeds on cephalopods, mainly large squids, and can be found only in very deep seas.
Ziphius avoids approaching humans and boats, as it is very shy. Because of this behavior and the fact that it submerges for 30-70 minutes at great depths (> 1000m), the species is extremely difficult to get studied. Thus, most information is extracted from beached whales. It should be noted that Crete is the first place in the world where Cuvier’s beacked whales sounds were recorded.
