kanaloa

Blackfish or Pilot Whale

Blackfish, or Pilot Whale

(Globicephala ventricosa)

Blackfish migrate about in large schools from southern Greenland, the Faeroe Islands, and the coast of Norway to the Cape of Good Hope and the Kerguelen Islands, and in the Pacific Ocean from Japan south to New Zealand and Tasmania and east to Peru (Plate XII). Schools appear at irregular intervals along the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Among fisherfolk this animal is generally called "Blackfish" because of its black color.
A longitudinal stripe, which expands into a heart-shaped figure on the throat, is usually present, however, on the under surface. The name "Pilot Whale" alludes to its queer habit of following the "leader," usually the largest male in the school. When one grounds in shallow water, the others follow, even though it means death for most of them. At such times the breathing of Blackfish is said to make a bellowing noise, and this seems to be the basis for the name "Caa'ing," or Calling Whale.
In the Faeroe Islands, lockouts on hills above the bays employ smoke signals to notify the village that Blackfish have been sighted. Rushing to their boats, the villagers endeavor to drive the school into shallow water.
Keeping the boats in a line, the pursuers fire guns, beat on pans, throw rocks, and shout to frighten the school shoreward. When the Blackfish run aground, men armed with lances and knives jump into the water and cut their throats. The expected average yield from each Blackfish is about 40 gallons of blubber oil and two to two-and-a-half gallons of head and jaw oil.
Blackfish have an almost globular head, remarkably swollen in front above the very short beak, and very long but narrow flippers. Adults vary from 14 to 28 feet in length.
Many hundreds of males, females, and young are sometimes seen in a school, though the schools that come into inshore waters are generally much smaller, They travel at a fairly rapid pace, the individuals in each row rising and diving side by side, with the spouts rising perhaps five feet. Blackfish feed chiefly on squids, but eat many 
calves measure at birth from in length and are suckled for several months.

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