“Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus Globicephala. There are two extant species, the long-finned pilot whale (G. melas) and the short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus). The two are not readily distinguished at sea and analysis of the skulls is the best way to tell the difference between the two species. Between the two species, pilot whales range in waters nearly worldwide with long-finned pilot whales living in cooler waters and short-finned pilot whales living in warmer waters. Pilot whales are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the killer whale. They and other large members of the dolphin family are also known as blackfish”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Pilot whales swim in Loch Carron on May 20, 2011 in South Uist, Scotland. A major operation is underway to prevent up to 100 pilot whales from stranding on the rocky shoreline of Loch Carron on South Uist in the Western Isles. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Doris Pennman adjusts her umbrella as she walks along Mission Beach on January 8, 2005 in San Diego, Califonia. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

Bikini-clad students pack out the beaches in Florida on March 15, 2022. Thousands students have hit the sandy stretches of Miami to soak up the warm weather as American universities break up for half-term. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

Kim and Khloe Kardashian turned up the heat on the sandy shores of Turks and Caicos on April 6, 2024. The glamorous sisters were spotted soaking up the sun in their stunning snake skin bikinis while enjoying quality beach time. Though their kids weren't pictured, the Kardashian clan was making the most of their paradise getaway while Kim wore her cowboy hat in the water. Pictured: American media personality Kim Kardashian. (Photo by Backgrid USA)

In this July 12, 2007 file photo, a two-day-old piping plover runs along a beach in the Quonochontaug Conservation Area in Westerly, R.I. (Photo by Steven Senne/AP Photo)

The 33rd All Women Lifeguard Tournament held at Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook New Jersey. Wednesday, July 26th, 2017 (Photo by Anthony Causi)

The Wildscreen festival is the world’s biggest celebration of screen-based natural history storytelling which takes place every two years in Bristol. Here: “Walrus in Midnight Sun”. Walrus feed mostly on bivalves in productive, shallow and often sandy habitats in the Arctic. This individual, though, arrived on a beach outside Tromsø, northern Norway, and found comfort on a stranded dead sperm whale. After two weeks he approached Audun, and only half a metre away he stretched his tusk forward and touched his hand gently. “This was one of the most memorable moments of my life”, Rikardsen says. He named the 500kg male Buddy. After two months, the dead whale was decomposed and Buddy suddenly disappeared. (Photo by Audun Rikardsen/Wildscreen 2016)

Samira Ahmed wears Sandy from head to toe for the Sandy Liang show during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in New York, New York on September 8, 2024. (Photo by Sara Konradi for The Washington Post)