Melon-headed whale facts for kids

The melon-headed whale (also called the melon-headed dolphin) is a type of dolphin that lives in the ocean. It's known by its scientific name, Peponocephala electra. These whales are related to other dolphins like the pygmy killer whale and pilot whale. Together, these are sometimes called "blackfish."

Melon-headed whales live in warm, tropical waters around the world. They usually stay far from shore in very deep parts of the ocean, so people don't see them very often.

What They Look Like

The melon-headed whale gets its name from its head, which is shaped like a rounded cone. Their bodies are mostly light gray, but their faces are a darker gray, like a "mask." They have long, pointed flippers. Their dorsal fin (the fin on their back) is tall and pointed, a bit like the killer whale's fin.

These whales can swim very fast, especially if they get scared. When they are moving quickly, they often make short, low jumps out of the water, creating lots of splashes.

Melon-headed whales are born weighing about 10 to 15 kilograms (22 to 33 pounds) and are about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long. As adults, they can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) long and weigh over 200 kilograms (440 pounds). They can live for at least 20 years, and females might live for more than 30 years.

Their main food is squid.

A melon-headed whale swimming

How They Behave

Social Life

Melon-headed whales are very social animals. They live in large groups that can have anywhere from 100 to 1,000 whales! They have been seen swimming very close to each other and even touching flippers. Within these big groups, they often swim in smaller groups of 10 to 14.

These whales are also known to hang out with other types of dolphins, especially Fraser's dolphins. They mix with Fraser's dolphin groups and socialize with them. They might also associate with other animals like humpback whales, but Fraser's dolphins are their most common companions.

Resting and Playing

Melon-headed whales often rest near the surface of the water during the day. They sometimes swim towards the sound of a boat and then ride the waves the boat creates. The sound of boats usually doesn't bother them.

When they are resting near the surface, they can make big splashes as they break the water. Sometimes, several whales will rise straight up out of the water to look around, then splash back down. This is called "spy hopping." They also swim quickly at the surface, almost breaking the water and creating crescent shapes in front of them.

Where They Live

A group of melon-headed whales in the Bohol Sea

Melon-headed whales live far from shore in all the world's tropical and subtropical oceans. Sometimes, they can also be found in cooler, temperate waters. For example, some have been seen off the coast of Ireland. However, they usually live in deep ocean waters, away from the continental shelf, between 20 degrees South and 20 degrees North of the equator. Places like Hawaii and Cebu in the Philippines are good spots to see them because the deep water is close to shore there.

On February 10, 2009, over 300 melon-headed whales were seen in the shallow waters off Bataan in the Philippines. Local people and volunteers helped guide the whales back to deeper waters. Scientists thought that loud sounds from high-power sonar equipment, sometimes used to search for oil, might have hurt the whales' eardrums, which could have caused them to swim into shallow water.

In Hawaii, the groups of melon-headed whales vary in size, from a single whale to pods of 800. However, they are usually found in fairly large groups, with an average of about 287 whales. The Hawaiian populations include a large group that lives in deep water and moves between the islands, and a smaller group that stays near the island of Hawaiʻi in shallower water.

Stranded Whales

Sometimes, melon-headed whales get stranded on beaches. For example, in 2008, several melon-headed whales were found stranded in South Carolina. Some had died at sea and were washed ashore by waves. Scientists examined them to try and figure out why they died, but the exact cause was not always clear.

Conservation Efforts

The melon-headed whale is part of international agreements that aim to protect marine animals. These agreements, like the Western African Aquatic Mammals MoU and the Pacific Cetaceans MoU, help countries work together to keep these whales and their homes safe.

See also

In Spanish: Delfín de cabeza de melón para niños