Cuvier’s beaked whales are among the deepest-diving mammals known, capable of descending well over a mile and staying submerged for more than two hours at a stretch, which makes them nearly impossible to spot at sea. Nearly all of Oregon’s 19 records almost certainly trace back to strandings along the coast rather than live offshore sightings.
Records cluster in February and March, with scattered singles in April and December, too few and too concentrated to describe a full seasonal pattern. NatureServe lists the species SNA, not applicable, in Oregon, and a whale built for deep, open ocean rather than nearshore water is always going to be rare in a coastal state’s record, no matter how carefully anyone looks.
Full species profile
