Maximum length：18 m
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales and have blowholes on the left sides of their heads, which makes them unique in blowing water forward.
They are found in all of the oceans in the world, and the males migrate to warmer waters to breed.

Maximum length：3.4 m
Pygmy sperm whales are slightly larger than dwarf sperm whales, and their dorsal fins are smaller and positioned further back.
They are found in tropical and warm waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 2.7 m
Smaller than pygmy sperm whales, dwarf sperm whales have higher dorsal fins near the center of their backs.
They are found in tropical and warm waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 12.8 m
Baird’s beaked whales are the largest of the Berardius bairdii. The males and the females alike develop large, flat teeth along their lower jaws as they approach adulthood.
They are only found in the colder areas of the Pacific Ocean.

Maximum length: 9.75 m
Long beaks with large heads and small, angled dorsal fins are the prominent characteristics of Arnoux’s beaked whales.
They are found in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

Maximum length: 9.8 m
Male northern bottlenose whales have protruding foreheads with flat faces.
They are only found in the colder areas of the North Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

Maximum length: 7.8 m
Aside from their thicker beaks, huge, bulging foreheads are prominent in adult males. Adult males also have two, slightly forward-leaning teeth along their lower jaws.
They are found in the Southern Hemisphere in a wide area around the Antarctic at 29 degrees south latitude or more.

Maximum length: 7.5 m
Cuvier’s beaked whales have robust bodies, short foreheads, and short beaks that are similar to geese. Ziphius cavirostris have characteristic dorsal fins, pectoral fins, and V-shaped ridges on their throats.
They are found in tropical and cold, temperate oceans all over the world.

Maximum length: 6.5 m
Longman’s beaked whales have bright foreheads that are almost perpendicular to their long beaks, large dorsal fins, and white spots that cover their bellies and sides.
They are only found in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean between the western coasts of Mexico and the eastern coasts of Africa and the Gulf of Aden.

Maximum length: 4.4 m
The smallest of its kind, Hector’s beaked whales have short, yet distinct beaks. Adult males have protruding teeth on both sides of their lower jaws.
Hector’s beaked whales are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Maximum length: 5 m
True’s beaked whales have dorsal fins that are small and either angled or hooked, and their heads resemble those of dolphins. Adult males develop a pair of teeth that slightly protrude from their lower jaws.
They are found in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Southern Hemisphere (particularly in the South Atlantic Ocean).

Maximum length 5.5 m
Sowerby’s beaked whales have moderately long beaks, and their dorsal fins are located along their lower backs. The males develop small, triangular teeth which protrude from the raised part of their lower jaws. Unique to the North Pacific Ocean,
They are found mostly in cold, temperate, and subarctic waters.

Maximum length: 5.6 m
Gray’s beaked whales have small heads and long, white beaks. Adult males and some females develop a pair of small teeth in the center of their lower jaws.
They are only found in the Southern Hemisphere generally in cold, temperate waters around 30 degrees south latitude or more.

Maximum length: 4.7 m
Andrew’s beaked whales have short, fat beaks and small heads. Apart from the white beaks of the adult males, their bodies are dark gray or black, and many of them have long scars from getting bitten.
They are only found in the cold, temperate zone in the Southern Hemisphere (near the Antarctic between 32-54.3 degrees south latitude).

Maximum length: 5.3 m
Adult male Hubbs’ beaked whales have a protruding heads with white beaks which look like hats. They also develop large teeth on their lower jaws that grow past their beaks.
They are only found in the cold, temperate zone in the North Atlantic Ocean (generally between 32-54 degrees north latitude).

Maximum length: 4.9 m
The ginkgo-leaf-shaped teeth of the adult males are the prominent characteristics of the ginkgo-toothed beak whale. Unique to Mesoplodont whales, their bodies are not covered with lines of scars.
They are usually found in the Western Pacific Ocean, but little is known as they are rarely identified alive.

Maximum length: 5.3 m
Adult male Stejneger’s beaked whales have tapered, flat foreheads that smoothly connect to their beaks. Their teeth grow out of their lower jaws. The white coloring from their beaks to their eyes gives them a “capped” appearance.
They are indigenous to the cold, temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea near the arctic.

Maximum length: 4.7 m
The prominent characteristics of Blainville’s beaked whales are their swollen, arched, lower jaws, especially among the adult males. Large teeth grow from the front of the arch of their lower jaws.
They are found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 6.2 m
The largest of Mesoplodont whales, the strap-toothed whale, has distinctive black and white coloring and long, lower jaw teeth that grow backward at a 45 degree angle.
They live in cold, temperate waters between 35-60 degrees south latitude.

Maximum length: 4.4 m
Perrin’s beaked whales have small heads with rather short beaks. The lines of their mouths are straight, and only adult males develop a pair of wide teeth near the ends of their lower jaws. A dark colored line extends from their eyes to the back part of their blowholes.
They have only been found in the eastern part of the North Pacific Ocean.

Maximum length: 3.7 m
Pygmy beaked whales are the smallest species of the Mesoplodont whales. Adult males have a white, inverted V shape on their backs.
They have only been found in the Pacific Ocean.

Maximum length: 7 m
Shepherd’s beaked whales are the only species of Ziphliid that fully develop teeth along both their upper and lower jaws. Their beaks are long and prominent compared to their foreheads.
They are found across a large area in cold, temperate waters between 30-55 degrees south latitude.

Maximum length: 5.2 m
Gervais’ beaked whales have smaller heads compared to other Mesoplodont whales. A straight mouth-line and a distinctive pair of teeth are prominent characteristics of adult males.
They are only found in the Pacific Ocean mainly in tropical and temperate waters.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
The short-beaked common dolphin is smaller than the long-beaked common dolphin, and they have shorter beaks as well. Their coloring is darker and they have characteristic light, dark gray, or yellow lines in a crisscross pattern on their sides.
They are found in warm and cold, temperate waters in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans both in open and coastal waters.

Maximum length: 2.4 m
Larger than short-beaked common dolphins, long-beaked common dolphins have longer beaks and their coloring is lighter. They have characteristic light, dark gray, or yellow lines in a crisscross pattern on their sides which are common to long and short-beaked common dolphins.
They are found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Maximum length: 3.8 m
The common bottlenose dolphin is the most well-known species of dolphin. The males are larger than the females, and they have fat, short, cylindrical beaks that are distinctive from their prominent heads and separated by a crease.
They live in temperate and tropical waters where the water temperature ranges from 10-32 degrees Celsius.

Maximum length: 2.5 m
Rather small in size and thin in shape, Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins have longer beaks than common bottlenose dolphins. Some populations develop dark spots on their bellies as they mature.
They live in temperate and tropical waters in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

Maximum length: 2.8 m
The largest in the genus Sousa, Indian humpback dolphins have small, hooked dorsal fins on a large hump on their backs.
They are observed in waters ranging from the southwestern coast of South Africa to the coastal waters of Myanmar in the Indian Ocean.

Maximum length: 3.2 m
Indo-pacific humpback dolphins have characteristic triangular-shaped dorsal fins without a hump. While their coloring is commonly gray, some become different colors as they mature depending on the area where they are found.
They are found in areas between eastern India and central China in the tropical and temperate waters of Southeastern Asia.

Maximum length: 2.8 m
Compared to other dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins have long pectoral fins positioned along their lower backs, and males have white patches from their sides to their bellies. Their teeth, which grow along their upper and lower jaws, have vertical lines on the surface.
They can be found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
Striped dolphins have thin lines that stretch from their eyes to their pectoral fins and to their anuses. They are strong and have distinctive bright and dark coloring.
They are found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
Smaller than other dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins have slender bodies, long, thin beaks, and spots that appear on their bodies as they age. Some adults have beaks with white edges.
They live in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters all over the world.

Maximum length: 2.3 m
Atlantic spotted dolphins change color as they mature. While born gray and white, they develop small patches of black on their bellies and white on their backs, which eventually cover their entire bodies.
They are indigenous to the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico but excluding the Mediterranean Sea).

Maximum length: 2.4 m
Spinner dolphins are small and slender. These dolphins have two types of coloration—single colored and triple colored, and the shapes of their dorsal fins differ largely among sex and subspecies. Long, dark lines that run from their eyes to their pectoral fins are characteristic of them.
They live in tropical and subtropical waters in both hemispheres between 40 degrees north and south latitude.

Maximum length: 2 m
Most of the Clymene dolphins have gray backs, light gray sides, and white bellies. The edges of their beaks are black, which look like “moustaches.”
They are only found in the deep tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Maximum length: 2.7 m
Adult male Fraser’s dolphins have characteristic black lines that run from their faces to their anuses, and dark-colored lines that run from the center of their lower jaws up to their pectoral fins. Their backs are dark or brownish gray, while their bellies are white or pink at times.
While they can be found in open, tropical waters, some have been found in deeper, coastal waters.

Maximum length: 3.1 m
Northern right whale dolphins do not have dorsal fins, and their pectoral and caudal fins are small. Their bodies taper off and become thinner at their posterior ends, giving them an eel-like shape. Their bodies are mostly black with a white belt on their bellies and white spots beneath their lower jaws.
They are found in the temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean between 30-55 degrees north latitude.

Maximum length: 3 m
Southern right whale dolphins have slender bodies without dorsal fins. The black and white on their bodies contrast vividly. Their pectoral fins and the sides of their bellies are white, and their backs, excluding their faces and throats, are black. Their characteristics include short beaks, a rather flat forehead, and a straight mouth-line.
They are found in the Antarctic and cold, temperate waters between 40-55 degrees south latitude.

Maximum length: 2.5 m
Pacific white-sided dolphins are larger than the related southern right whale dolphin. They have large, hooked, dorsal fins which are divided into two colors and have light gray lines on their sides that look like “suspenders.”
They live in cold, temperate waters in the North Pacific Ocean (from California to the Bering Sea along with the northern waters of Taiwan).

Maximum length: 2.8 m
Atlantic white-sided dolphins have rather strong bodies. They have bright and complex patterns on their skin. Their backs, dorsal fins, pectoral fins, and caudal fins are gray, and their bellies and lower jaws are white. Yellow patterns that extend from their white bellies to their tails are prominent.
They are mostly found in cold, temperate waters or near the Arctic, but at times, they have been found in coastal waters or in the center of the North Pacific Ocean.

Maximum length: 3.2 m
White-beaked dolphins are strong, and the males are larger than the females. Their black bodies have gray and white patches, and their beaks are short and either white or light-colored.
They are found in the temperate and subtropical waters of the North Atlantic Ocean mainly in the continental shelf area.

Maximum length: 2.1 m
Dusky dolphins have thinner and longer beaks compared to the related Pacific white-sided dolphin. The pattern on their heads from their blowholes to their beaks, and the white pattern which extends from their tails to their dorsal fins are characteristic of them.
Apart from an expansive area of cold, temperate waters in the Southern Hemisphere, they are also found in New Zealand and South Africa.

Maximum length: 2.16 m
The color of Peale’s dolphins differs from one to another. Most commonly, their faces are a dark color while their throats and the sides of their bodies are white. The white marks at the base of their pectoral fins are their most notable characteristics. They have a wide gum line so that they can eat small octopi whole.
They are found on both sides of South America in deep waters in the southwest and in shallow waters in the southeast.

Maximum length: 1.83 m
Hourglass dolphins have strong bodies that are mostly dark or black with two white ellipses at their sides which are connected by white lines, forming an hourglass shape.
They are found in the Antarctic between 40-67 degrees south latitude, and there are reports that they have been found near the coast and near islands.

Maximum length: 2.1 m
Tucuxi have small, hard, streamlined bodies with gray backs and white or pink bellies. Angled dorsal fins in the center of their backs are characteristic of them.
They are only found in fresh water mainly in the Amazon in Brazil, Columbia, and Peru.

Maximum length: 1.75m
Commerson’s dolphins are small with rounded heads, dorsal fins, and pectoral fins. They are distinctly black and white. Although newborn calves are gray, they turn black and white after six months.
Two subspecies are recognized. One subspecies can be found in the coastal waters of Argentina in South America, while the other can be found in the coastal waters of the Kerguelen Islands.

Maximum length: 1.5 m
Hector’s dolphins are the smallest dolphins and are light gray with black pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins. They also have a dark crescent mark above their blowholes and large, round dorsalfins.
Indigenous to New Zealand, the northeastern subspecies is only found along the northeastern portion of the west coast.

Maximum length: 1.7 m
Heaviside’s dolphins are the only species of Cephalorhynchus with round bodies and no dorsal fins. They have dark or black backs with gray heads and chests, and they have complicated white patterns on their bellies.
They are found in shallow waters less than 100 m deep off of the southwestern coast of Africa near 17 degrees south latitude.

Maximum length: 1.7 m
Chilean dolphins have small bodies with round heads and pectoral fins which are characteristic of Cephalorhynchus. Their bodies are dark gray and their fins are black.
They are found along coastlines and fjords between Valparaiso, Chile, and Cape Cod.

Maximum length: 3.8 m
Risso's dolphins have strong bodies with high and hooked dorsal fins at the center of their backs. Their dark gray bodies are covered with scars from scratches and getting bitten. They have protruding heads with vertical wrinkles.
They can be found in tropical and temperate waters in both hemispheres.

Maximum length: 9.8 m
Killer whales are characteristically a clear-cut white and black. They have white patches around their eyes, and a gray saddle-shape on their backs. They have large dorsal fins, and the males have larger ones than the females.
They are found in oceans all over the world.

Maximum length: 6.7 m
Long-finned pilot whales are the largest of the Delphinidae. The males have longer bodies than the females. Their large heads protrude forward, and their pectoral fins are 1/5 of their body length. They are found in cold, temperate waters and in sub-polar regions.
They are generally found in the open ocean, but sometimes they appear near the coast as well.

Maximum length: 6.1 m
Short-finned pilot whales have large, strong bodies with round, protruding heads. Their dorsal fins are hooked and low with rounded ends.
They are found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world. There are two geographical races in Japan.

Maximum length: 6 m
False killer whales have thin, slender bodies with prominent, black foreheads and narrow heads. Their pectoral fins are “S” shaped with a hump like an elbow.
They are found in deep, open, tropical and temperate waters, and occasionally they appear in coastal waters near islands.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
Pygmy killer whales are similar to melon-headed whales in size and color; however, pygmy killer whales have rounder foreheads and their pectoral fins are rounded at the ends. Adults have white lips, and in many cases, their lower jaws are white at the ends as well.
They are found in deep, tropical and subtropical waters.

Maximum length: 2.75 m
Melon-headed whales are easily mistaken for pygmy killer whales. Their bodies are dark gray with lighter bellies. Their heads slightly protrude, and they lack a distinct beak. The white part around their lips becomes distinct as they age. They have a characteristic large pattern below their dorsal fins.
They are found in deep, tropical and subtropical waters or in coastal waters near the islands of Hawaii and Polynesia.

Maximum length: 2.8 m
Irrawaddy dolphins have strong bodies with protruding heads. Slight wrinkles may be observed on their flexible necks. Their dorsal fins are slightly hooked and triangular in shape with a small, rounded tip.
They are found in coastal waters in South and Southeast Asia. In addition, they have been found in three large rivers and in two areas of brackish water.

Maximum length: 2.7 m
Australian snubfin dolphins characteristically have round heads with rounded beaks. Their backs are dark brown, their sides are light gray, and their bellies are white. Their oar-like pectoral fins are wide, and they can move them freely.
They are found in shallow, coastal waters and in rivers in northern Australia.

Maximum length: 5.5 m
Belugas have a characteristic thin ridge on their backs in place of a dorsal fin. They have small heads with a protruding forehead, and their small pectoral fins look like spatulas. They have wide caudal fins. Newborn calves are dark gray, which turn pure-white as they age.
They are found in the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding area.

Maximum length: 4.7 m
Narwhals are a brownish gray when they are born, and as they mature, their backs become dotted with black spots and their bellies turn white. In males, the left tooth grows in a helix spiral out of their upper lips, reaching as long as 3 m.
They are found on the Pacific side of the Arctic Ocean north of 60 degrees north latitude.

Maximum length: 2m
Harbour porpoises have short, stout bodies without a distinguishable beak. Their backs and caudal fins are dark gray or black, while their bellies are gray or white. Dark patterns around their eyes and dark lines from their mouths to their pectoral fins are characteristic of them.
They are found in temperate waters in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.

Maximum length: 1.9 m
Narrow-ridged finless porpoises have relatively slender and flexible bodies, and they lack dorsal fins and beaks. They characteristically have prominent, round heads.
They are found off of the eastern coast of China, the Korean peninsula, and the coastal waters of Japan. There’s also a population in the Yangtze River.

Maximum length: 2.4 m
Dall’s porpoises have thick bodies with small heads. They have characteristic white patches on their sides and lower bellies. The size of their patches differentiates between the two known types. The Dalli type has a narrower patch, while the Truei type has a wider one. Their dorsal and caudal fins turn white as they age.
They are found in temperate waters between the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans.

Maximum length: 2.3 m
Spectacled porpoises have small, round heads without beaks. They are known for the marks around their eyes which look like “spectacles.” Their backs and the upper parts of their sides are black, while their bellies and their lower sides are white. The males have large, round dorsal fins.
They are found around in Antarctica in between the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Oceans and temperate waters.

Maximum length: 2 m
Burmeister’s porpoises have short, stout bodies, small, round heads, and they lack beaks. Their bodies are almost entirely black, and their small, low dorsal fins are positioned on their lower backs. Dark marks around their eyes and dark lines from their eyes to their pectoral fins are characteristic of them.
They are found in coastal waters on both sides of South America reaching far north on the Pacific side due to the Peru Current.

Maximum length: 1.5 m
Vaquita have tall dorsal fins for their body size, and their pectoral fins are longer than those of other porpoises. Marks around their eyes and mouths are characteristic of them. Their backs are dark gray, their sides are light gray, and their bellies are white.
They are found in shallow waters less than 30 m deep in the Gulf of California.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
Ganges river dolphins are strong and have flexible necks with wrinkles. They are mostly dark brown. Their eyes are very small and are positioned just above the upward-bending corners of their mouths. Long, thin beaks and wide pectoral fins are characteristic of them.
They are found in the shallow, fresh waters of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli, and Sangu rivers that run through Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Maximum length: 1.77 m
With small, brown bodies, Franciscana have the characteristics of river dolphins such as long, thin beaks, wide pectoral fins, and small, round dorsal fins. Their pectoral fin bones are prominent and visible, so they look like “fingers.”
They are found in the coastal waters and estuary areas of the South Atlantic (between southeast Brazil and northern Argentina).

Maximum length: 2.8 m
Characteristic of Amazon river dolphins, they turn pink as they mature. They have strong, slim bodies with long, thin beaks, and their dorsal fins are low but long.
They are found in the fresh waters of the Amazon and the Orinoco rivers.

Maximum length: 2.6 m
Slightly upward-curving long, thin beaks and small eyes are characteristic of Baiji. In the 1980s, their populations drastically started to decrease due to the deterioration of their habitat, and in fact, they were declared functionally extinct in 2007.
They were found in the mid to lower parts of the Yangtze River.