pilot whale
nounDefinition of pilot whale
: either of two dark gray to black, medium-sized toothed whales (Globicephala melas and G. macrorhynchus) of temperate to tropical waters that have a large rounded forehead and short snout and typically feed on squid and small fish
— called also blackfish
Examples of pilot whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are also concerns about how these hunts affect the pilot whale population. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Annual Faroe Islands Whale Slaughter Leaves Scenic Waters Blood Red," 5 Aug. 2019 George says pilot whales typically keep about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Georgia coast. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Biologist: Whales moving away from Georgia coast," 17 July 2019 Ecologists are quick to rage at the Faroese, sharing film of the traditional and bloody slaughter of pilot whales, which are not endangered. — The Economist, "Puffins on the Faroe Islands are in danger," 9 Aug. 2019 The phenomena is hardly new, with nearly 145 pilot whales beached on a New Zealand island last year. — Matt Mcnulty, PEOPLE.com, "Dozens of Dead Pilot Whales Found Beached in Iceland," 23 July 2019 The Faroese often talk of the tradition behind the grindadrap and specifically the respect shown to the pilot whales. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Annual Faroe Islands Whale Slaughter Leaves Scenic Waters Blood Red," 5 Aug. 2019 The last two of five pilot whales that beached themselves earlier this week off Florida’s Gulf coast have been released back into the sea. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Last two pilot whales from Florida mass stranding released back to sea," 2 Aug. 2019 In 1918, for instance, 1,000 pilot whales stranded themselves on New Zealand’s Chatham Islands. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Georgia Beachgoers Help Save Pod of Stranded Pilot Whales," 19 July 2019 The American Cetacean Society says pilot whales are often involved in mass strandings partly due to their social nature. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Biologist: Whales moving away from Georgia coast," 17 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pilot whale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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