Cuvier's beaked whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Also known as: Goosebeak Whale, Goose-beaked Whale, cuviers beaked whale, Cuvier’s Goosebeaked Whale

LCLeast Concern
Ziphius cavirostris Mar LigureCuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris)
Photo: Emmanuelbaltasar · CC BY-SA 4.0Ziphius cavirostris Mar LigurePhoto: Charlotte Kirchner · CC BY 4.0Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)Photo: Daniel Benák · CC BY 4.0Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

Cuvier's Beaked Whale is a deep-diving whale with a small head, short beak, and pale scarring on many adults. It uses sound to hunt squid and fish during exceptionally long dives far from shore. United States records depend on offshore surveys and strandings, which don't measure where living whales are most numerous. National occurrence records reveal where and when people have documented it, but they don't measure abundance or prove that an unreported area is empty.

Range through the year

Where Cuvier's beaked whale is seen

Cuvier's beaked whale is recorded in 5 US states from 161 occurrence records, most heavily in California (49 records) and Florida (40).

Current range161 records · 5 states
AlabamaArizonaArkansasCalifornia · 49 records · view state pageColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFlorida · 40 records · view state pageGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregon · 16 records · view state pagePennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth Carolina · 16 records · view state pageSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAlaska · 40 records · view state pageAKHawaiiHIPuerto RicoPR
Occurrence data by state and month
Cuvier's beaked whale – occurrence records by US state and month (161 total across 5 states)
StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
California43433778325·49
Florida19141524372140
Alaska513517124··2·40
Oregon113232··1··316
South Carolina91·1····122·16

Based on 181 georeferenced US records, 2000-2026. Shading is observation density (where people record sightings), not true abundance. Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico shown as insets.

Explore by state

Cuvier's beaked whale across 5 states

Occurrence records, conservation status, and the places it turns up, state by state. Open a state for detail, or visit its full page.

  • CaliforniaNativeRare51 records

    Notable placesHearst San Simeon State Park · Golden Gate National Recreation Area · Phillip Burton Wilderness Area · Point Reyes National Seashore

    Countiesrecorded in 11

    Year-round in California, with recorded sightings peaking in June–August, with a smaller rise in November.

    Full California page →All California mammals →
  • FloridaNativeOccasional41 records

    State rankUnranked

    Countiesrecorded in 12

    Year-round in Florida, with recorded sightings peaking in February, with a smaller rise in October.

    Full Florida page →All Florida mammals →
  • AlaskaNativeRare40 records

    State rankVulnerable

    Countiesrecorded in 8

    Year-round in Alaska, with recorded sightings peaking in July.

    Full Alaska page →All Alaska mammals →
  • OregonNativeRare16 records

    State rankNot Applicable

    Countiesrecorded in 5

    Year-round in Oregon, with recorded sightings peaking in March–June, with a smaller rise in December.

    Full Oregon page →All Oregon mammals →
  • South CarolinaNativeOccasional16 records

    State rankApparently Secure

    Countiesrecorded in 4

    Year-round in South Carolina, with recorded sightings peaking in January.

    Full South Carolina page →All South Carolina mammals →

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

SizeCuvier's beaked whale beside a 1.8 m adult, drawn to scale
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019
Body length
5–7 m16 ft 5 in–22 ft 12 in
Weight
2,000–3,500 kg4,409–7,716 lb

Silhouettes drawn to scale against a 1.8 m5 ft 11 in adult.

Elevation

From 83 georeferenced records, the Cuvier's beaked whale is recorded from sea levelsea level to 64 m210 ft, with half of sightings below sea levelsea level.

Each band shows the share of georeferenced sightings that fall within it. Records cluster where people live and hike, so low, populated elevations are over-represented. Read this as observation density, not true abundance.

Best encounter

Where and when to see a Cuvier's beaked whale

Your best chance: California.

Where
CaliforniaCA
Trophic relationshipsFood web What a Cuvier's beaked whale eats, and what eats it.
Eaten by2
Smalltooth Cookiecutter SharkIsistius brasiliensisGray WolfCanis lupus
This speciesCuvier's beaked whale
Deepsea SquidBathyteuthis abyssicolaArcturus Cock-eyed SquidStigmatoteuthis arcturiBalloon OctopusStauroteuthis syrtensisReinhart's Cranch SquidLiocranchia reinhardtiDiaphanous Pelagic OctopusJapetella diaphanaVampire SquidVampyroteuthis infernalisOrnate Cock-eyed SquidHistioteuthis bonnelliiVerany's Long-armed SquidChiroteuthis veranyi
Eats8

A sample of documented feeding relationships, filtered to species that also occur in the US. Diet and predators vary by region and season, and this is not a complete list, many animals eat, and are eaten by, more than what has been formally recorded here.

Life history

The Cuvier's beaked whale (2000–3500 kg4409.2–7716.2 lb) is a carnivore that carries a 365-day gestation, and bears about 1 young per litter. Maximum recorded longevity is 62 years.

Life cycle

  1. Gestation1 years (≈12 months)
  2. Birthlitter of 1 young
  3. Typical lifespan62 years
  4. Maximum recorded longevity62 years

Reproduction

Gestation
365days≈12 months
Litter size
1youngaverage
Max longevity
62years

Diet composition

Carnivore

By foraging composition: 80% invertebrates, 20% fish.

  • Invertebrates80%
  • Fish20%

Most active around the clock.

Typical values for the species, not local measurements. Maximum longevity is the longest lifespan on record; most individuals live far less.

Commonly confused with

Animals people sometimes mistake for the cuvier's beaked whale, and how to tell them apart.

How to recognize the Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is a deep-diving whale with a small head, short beak, and pale scarring on many adults. Field identification still depends on the whole animal, its behavior, and location because a quick glimpse can hide useful features.

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale behavior and habitat

It uses sound to hunt squid and fish during exceptionally long dives far from shore. Habitat must connect feeding areas with secure places to rest, shelter, or raise young. That link explains why a broad outline can contain large areas the species doesn’t regularly use.

Understanding the United States record

United States records depend on offshore surveys and strandings, which don’t measure where living whales are most numerous. Reports depend on access, survey methods, and correct identification. A cluster doesn’t measure population size, and a blank area doesn’t prove absence. Repeated surveys are needed to separate real biological change from changes in reporting.

Conservation in context

Wide-ranging species can face very different pressures across their distribution. Protecting feeding habitat, travel routes, and undisturbed shelter addresses the parts of the landscape they actually need. Global conservation categories don’t replace local monitoring.

Sources

  1. GBIF – Ziphius cavirostris
  2. Wikipedia – Cuvier's beaked whale
  3. Wikidata – Cuvier's beaked whale

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources: