- Lifespan
- 20–45 years in the wild, with some individuals living into their 50s
- Size & Weight
- 2.0–3.9 m long; 150–650 kg, with males typically larger than females
- Habitat
- Coastal and offshore waters, preferring temperate and tropical seas, often in bays, estuaries, and around headlands.
- UK Distribution
- Found around all UK coasts, particularly common off south-west England, Wales, and Scotland; present year-round but numbers vary seasonally, with populations showing both resident and migratory behaviour.
- Diet
- Carnivorous, feeding primarily on fish such as cod, mackerel, herring, and mullet, occasionally supplemented with cephalopods.
- Prey
- Cod, mackerel, herring, mullet, whiting, and other fish species; squid and octopus
- Predators
- Adults have no natural predators in UK waters; calves may rarely be threatened by large sharks in warmer waters beyond UK range
- Mating Season
- Spring and summer, typically May to August in UK waters
- Breeding
- Single calf born after gestation of approximately 12 months; calves remain dependent for 3–6 years; females breed every 3–6 years
- Behaviour
- Highly social and intelligent cetaceans living in pods of 5–15 individuals, though aggregations can be larger. They are vocal communicators using clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls, and engage in playful behaviour including breaching and surface interactions. They use echolocation to navigate and hunt prey.