⛵️The One Ocean crew had about 10 northern bottlenose whales play in our wake as we sailed through the Davis Strait on 9/14/25, and were visited again 9/15/25 by two right off our bow for a brief hello.
🐳 The northern bottlenose whale is a deep diving beaked whale of the North Atlantic, instantly recognizable by its high rounded forehead and long bottle shaped beak. Adults can reach 7 to 10 meters in length and weigh 6 to 8 tonnes. Older males develop a squared off forehead and a pale often whitish beak. Built for the depths, they routinely dive well beyond 1,000 meters and have been recorded at over 1,500 meters for more than an hour. They are suction feeders, using powerful throat and tongue muscles to draw in deep water prey, especially squid such as Gonatus species, along with other cephalopods and occasional fish. Social groups usually range from 3 to 10 individuals and they are known for their curiosity, sometimes approaching quiet vessels or spyhopping to look back at observers.
🌊 Northern bottlenose whales prefer offshore canyons and deep subarctic waters from Labrador and the Davis Strait across to Iceland, the Faroes, and Norway. Historically they were heavily hunted in the 19th and 20th centuries for their high quality oil, and their inquisitive nature made them especially vulnerable. Today, some populations are recovering while others remain small and at risk. In Canada, the Scotian Shelf population is listed as Endangered and is protected within the Gully Marine Protected Area off Nova Scotia. Modern threats include underwater noise from naval sonar and seismic surveys, entanglement in fishing gear, and shifting prey due to changing ocean conditions. Ecologically, they help structure deep sea food webs and their carcasses provide important nutrient pulses to the seafloor. Conservation measures that reduce ocean noise and protect canyon habitats are vital to the future of these remarkable whales.
