The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Toothed Whales
The sperm whale is the most common whale species in Andenes and we encounter sperm whales on 95% of all our safaris.
Life span: 80 years
Size: �male 20 m, �female 12 m
Weight: male 45-75 tonnes, female 15-20 tonnes
Birth weight/length: 600 kg/4 m
Staple diet: larger fish and cephalopods
Distinctive features: Biggest of the toothed whales. Dark grey in colour. Visibly slanting spout. The sperm whales observed off Andenes are all males.
Other whale species occasionally sighted
Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Baleen Whales
Life span: 40-50 years
Size: - 9.5 m
Weight: 6-8 tonnes
Birth weight/length: 450 kg/3 m
Staple diet: smaller shoal fish such as herring and capelin
Distinctive features: The commonest of the baleen whales along the Norwegian coast. Dark coloured back, lighter on both sides. Rarely spouts. Does not reveal tail fin when diving.
Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) - Toothed Whales
Life span: 80 years
Size: - 9m
Weight: male 6 tonnes, female 4 tonnes
Birth weight/length: 180 kg/2.4 m
Staple diet: fish and other marine mammals
Distinctive features: clearly contrasting markings. Large dorsal fin, 1-2 m long, especially among males. Widespread all over the world.
Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas) - Toothed whales
 Average length 5.5 m, maximum 8.5 m. Males distinctly larger than females. Blunt skull with large forehead. The dorsal fin is set forward on the back and sweeps backwards. The body is elongated but stocky in the tail fin. Prefers the open sea. Can be seen in schools of some tens to hundreds of individuals.
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Toothed Whales
 Average length 1.5 m, maximum length approx. 2 m. Small species with rounded head and poorly demarcated beak. Small, triangular dorsal fin (very characteristic). Common, particularly along the coast. Normally seen alone or in small groups.
Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) - Baleen Whales
 Can be up to 19 m in length and weigh up to 40 tonnes. Baleen whale. Dark back, with long, knobbly pectoral fins. Small dorsal fin positioned on a hump. Distinctive spout. Often reveals tail fin when diving deep. Light markings underneath. Known for its song. Common along the Norwegian coast.
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