06/13/2026
One of these dorsal fins is not like the other.
Short finned pilot whales in the Sea of Cortez sometimes associate with the local population of bottlenose dolphins (bottom right). Pilot whales are incredibly intelligent and live in large family groups where they likely share what’s called a “sense of self” meaning that they see their families as the same entity as themselves rather than as individuals. This means that pilot whales feel deeply the emotions, stress, and empathy of their group, fascinating for a large, long-lived animal.
As deep diving animals, we don’t often get to see pilot whales at the surface for too long, so this encounter was very special.
