NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

A Technical Report of the Fishery Bulletin 

Cetaceans of Venezuela:


Their Distribution and Conservation Status


Aldemaro Romero


A. Ignacio Agudo


Steven M. Green


Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara


January 2001 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Seattle, Washington 
1 

Abstract.–Sighting, stranding, and capture records of whales and dolphins for 

Venezuela were assembled and analyzed 

to document the Venezuelan cetacean 

fauna and its distribution in the eastern 

Caribbean. An attempt was made to confirm species identification for each of the 

records, yielding 443 that encompass 21 

species of cetaceans now confirmed to 

occur in Venezuelan marine, estuarine, 

and freshwater habitats. For each species, 

we report its global and local distribution, conservation status and threats, and 

the common names used, along with our 

proposal for a Spanish common name. 

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is the 

most commonly reported mysticete. The 

long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus 

capensis) is the most frequent of the odontocetes in marine waters. The boto or 

tonina (Inia geoffrensis) was found to be 

ubiquitous in the Orinoco watershed. The 

distribution of marine records is consistent with the pattern of productivity of 

Venezuelan marine waters, i.e., a concentration at 63°07′W through 65°26′W with 

records declining to the east and to the 

west. An examination of the records for 

all cetaceans in the Caribbean leads us 

to conclude that seven additional species 

may be present in Venezuelan waters. 

Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and 

Conservation Status 

Aldemaro Romero 

Macalester College


Environmental Studies Program and Department of Biology


1600 Grand Ave.


Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105-1899


E-mail address: romero@macalester.edu 

A. Ignacio Agudo 

Fundacetacea, Fundación Sudamericana 


“Saida Josefina Blondell de Agudo”


para la Conservación de Mamíferos Acuáticos


P. O. Box 010, 88010-970


Florianópolis, Santa Catarina-SC, Brazil


Steven M. Green 

Department of Biology


University of Miami


P.O. Box 249118


Coral Gables, Florida 33124


Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara 

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute


1700 South Shore Rd.


San Diego, California 92109


Present address: Tethys Research Institute


viale G.B. Gadio 2, I-20121 

Milano, Italy 

Introduction 

The cetaceans inhabiting the Caribbean are poorly known (Jefferson and 

Lynn, 1994). A few taxonomic papers 

on the Windward Islands region 

(largely summarized in Caldwell et 

al., 1971a) were a consequence of 

studying whaling in the area (Price, 

1985). Most of the other publications 

have focused on a particular species 

or on sightings or strandings at a particular locality. 

Surveys have been limited in scope 

and duration. Erdman et al. (1973) 

first surveyed the area’s cetacean fauna, concentrating on the northeastern Caribbean. They identified seven 

species and noted the presence of 

twenty more that were not identified. 

Later van Bree (1975) confirmed 21 

species in the southern Caribbean 

and estimated that an additional four 

would eventually be found. Casinos 

(1986) reported 24 confirmed species 

and predicted one more for the southeast Caribbean. Mignucci-Giannoni1 

reported 24 species for Puerto Rico 

and the Virgin Islands. Cuervo Díaz 

et al. (1986) cited eight confirmed 

species and 15 expected for the Colombian Caribbean and two species 

for the Colombian rivers. Prieto Rodríguez (1988) cited nine confirmed 

species for that same region. Vidal 

(1990) expanded the list to 15 ma1	 Mignucci-Giannoni, A. A. 1996. Marine 

mammals strandings in Puerto Rico and the 

United States and British Virgin Islands. 

Department of Marine Sciences, University 

of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, 247 p., unpubl. 

doctoral dissertation. 
2 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

rine species and predicted that at least one more would 

be found. Debrot et al. (1998) reviewed the records 

for the Leeward Dutch Antilles and confirmed 13 records for those islands. Examination of the distributional records of some species has led many investigators 

to predict that others are present in the Caribbean although they remain unreported (Caldwell et al., 1971a; 

van Bree, 1975; Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Perrin and 

Gilpatrick, 1994; Perrin and Hohn, 1994; Perrin et al., 

1994a; Perrin et al., 1994c). 

Although there have been some systematic aerial surveys of the area (e.g., Meade and Koehnken, 1991; Notarbartolo di Sciara2), they have been of limited duration. Other sources of knowledge about Venezuela’s 

cetacean fauna are sparse in comparison to some other 

regions of the world because of two major factors: absence of an organized whaling industry and lack of interest by local naturalists. Foreigners have generated 

most of the information on cetaceans in Venezuela (Table 1). Romero et al. (1991) attempted the first comprehensive compilation of records of Venezuelan cetaceans, documenting 17 species. Later, Romero et al. 

(1997b) showed that cetacean utilization by Venezuelan fishermen was much more extensive than previously 

known, thus providing a basis for evaluating threats to 

the conservation status of Venezuelan species. 

This paper summarizes all the records that we could 

locate or were made available to us regarding cetaceans 

in Venezuelan marine and freshwater environments. We 

present 443 records comprising reports of about 5,000 

individual animals spanning 21 confirmed species. We 

interpret them, where possible, to suggest the conservation status of these species. This report updates and supplants Romero et al. (1991) and we therefore encourage referring to and citing this document rather than 

the earlier one. 

Materials and methods 

Area of coverage 

Venezuelan coastal localities include both Caribbean 

and North Atlantic waters. We include all inland waters 

within Venezuela and marine waters within the territorial sea, namely the 670,000 km2 of maritime space 

(Territorial Sea + Contiguous Zone + Inner Waters + 

Continental Margin + Continental Shelf + Exclusive 

Economic Zone) as defined by the Law of the Sea (cf. 

Romero, 1990). 

2	 Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. 1979. Progress report July and August 

1979. Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, 1700 South Shore Rd., 

San Diego, California 92109, 2 p. 

Data compilation 

Data were compiled from both scientific and nontechnical literature, from collections of museums and similar institutions, and from unpublished sightings by 

reliable observers, including those using photographs 

or videotape recordings (Table 2). These embrace, but 

are not limited to, records of stranded, accidentally 

caught, and intentionally captured animals (see Romero 

et al., 1997b). We include in this compilation only 

those reports from scientific publications and popular 

accounts that provide sufficient information, such as 

clear descriptions, drawings, or photographs, to permit 

unambiguous species identification. Recognizing the 

problems of using sighting records for species identification (Evans, 1980), we include only those by qualified observers reporting very distinctive species such as 

humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), killer whales 

(Orcinus orca), and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Original sources were used wherever possible; secondary sources are noted in brackets. All unpublished 

material has been deposited in the libraries of the 

International Whaling Commission (IWC, Cambridge, 

United Kingdom) and the University of Miami (Coral 

Gables, Florida). 

We tried to independently verify the identification of 

every specimen in Venezuelan collections. Appendix 1 

shows the list of institutions from which specimens were 

studied, their abbreviations and locations. We are aware 

there may be additional information at some institutions that was not made available to us [e.g., the unverified preliminary findings from the Caribbean Stranding 

Network (P.R.) reported by Díaz et al. (1995)]. 

Taxonomic arrangement 

We follow the most recent cetacean species list and taxonomic order recognized by the IWC Scientific Committee (Perrin et al., 1994b) except for the position 

of the family Physeteridae where we follow Heyning 

(1995). Taxonomic ranks above the genus level follow 

Barnes et al. (1985). For the genus Stenella, we follow 

Perrin et al. (1987). Discussion of taxonomic status of 

species is included only when relevant to the nomenclature used in this paper. Taxonomic names of species 

follow Rice (1998) and the conventions of nomenclature and format are as recommended by the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature. 

Common or vernacular names 

English names follow standard nomenclature (Perrin 

et al., 1994b). Spanish names are given in alphabetical 

order for each species. Those names that are used in 

Venezuela are preceded by an asterisk. For names used 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 3 

Table 1 

History of major developments in Venezuelan cetology. 

Date Development Source 

6,000–2,000 ybp Utilization of cetaceans by aboriginals Sanoja, 1989 

1498 First cetacean sighting by a European. C. Columbus names the Paria Gulf as Columbus, 1498 

“Golfo de la Ballena” (“Whale’s Gulf”), a feeding ground for whales. 

1647 First written description of a cetacean (Inia geoffrensis). de Carvajal, 1648 

1755 First scientific description of I. geoffrensis, by P. Löfling. Manuscript remains Romero et al., 1997a 

unpublished to date. 

1782 First publication of a description of a Venezuelan cetacean (I. geoffrensis), Gilij, 1782 

by S. Gilij. 

1814 Publication of von Humboldt’s encounter with I. geoffrensis, and possibly von Humboldt, 1814 

Sotalia fluviatilis and Stenella longirostris. 

1841 First report of Physeter macrocephalus. First report of a stranded cetacean Codazzi, 1841 

for Venezuela. 

1843 First report of whaling off the coast of Venezuela. Probably P. macrocephalus. Anonymous, 1843 

1853 First report of whaling of Megaptera novaeangliae. Mitchell and Reeves, 1983 

1868 First report for presence of Delphinus capensis (f. delphis). Ernst, 1868 

1873 First report of a balaenopterid, probably Balaenoptera edeni. Ernst, 1877 

1884 First report of commercial use of dolphin products. Ernst, 1884 

1891 First report of Steno bredanensis and, possibly, Globicephala macrorhynchus. Ernst, 1891 

1894 Report of whaling on Orcinus orca. Reeves and Mitchell, 1988 

1912 First confirmed report of Sotalia fluviatilis. Osgood, 1912 

1921 First report of Pseudorca crassidens. Miller, 1921 

1947 First technical report on dolphin fisheries in Venezuela. Fiedler et al., 1947 

1954 First report of Balaenoptera physalus, Megaptera novaeangliae, and Tursiops truncates. Anduze, 1954 

1963 First confirmed report of B. physalus. Moore, 1968 

1966 First report of Stenella frontalis. Mitchell, 1970 

1966 First confirmed report of T. truncates. Caldwell and Caldwell, 1971b 

1972 First confirmed report of S. longirostris and D. capensis. van Halewijn and van Bree, 1972 

1974 First confirmed report of Balaenoptera borealis and Balaenoptera edeni. Mitchell and Kozicki1 

1978 First confirmed report of M. novaeangliae. Winn and Winn, 1978 

1980 First report of G. macrorhynchus. Casinos and Bou, 1980 

1981 First published report of Ziphius cavirostris. Casinos, 1981 

1981 Pilleri and Pilleri suggest the presence of Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis and Pilleri and Pilleri, 1982 

I. g. humboldtiana in Venezuela. 

1990 First report of Stenella clymene in Venezuela. Agudo, 1990 

1991 First list of Venezuelan cetaceans based on actual records. First records for Romero et al., 1991 

Grampus griseus, Steno bredanensis, and Feresa attenuata. 

1993 First confirmed report of B. physalus. Bolaños Jiménez and Lira, 1993 

1993 First confirmed record of O. orca. Rodríguez et al., 1993 

1997 First comprehensive analysis of cetacean fisheries. Romero et al., 1997b 

First record of S. coeruleoalba. This paper 

1	 Mitchell, E. D., and V. M. Kozicki. 1974. The sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. IWC/SC/SP74/32, Arctic Biological Station, 

Fisheries and Marine Service, Department of the Environment, Box 400, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Province de Quebec, Canada, 48 p., unpubl. manuscr. 

exclusively in a particular region, the region is identi- and Agudo, 1993), and popular literature written in 

fied in parentheses. Spanish on natural history in general and cetaceans in 

Our sources for common or vernacular names in Span- particular. There is not, however, a standard nomenclaish, and for Venezuela in particular, are interviews with ture for Spanish names. Some common names are literal 

local fishermen, the scientific bibliography (mostly Ca- translations from English that make little sense in Spansinos, 1986; Vidal, 1990; Romero et al., 1991; Romero ish. Others are used exclusively in one country or region. 
 1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

4 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 

The locations for record numbers can be found on the species maps (Figs. 3 through 19). Marine records for Venezuela are given stateized. State names are not used for offshore records nor for islands within the “Dependencias federales” (federal territories not assigned 

locality corresponds to the confluence of both rivers. A river followed by a non-capitalized name refers to a town and/or geographical 

If there is more than one record for a locality, they are ordered chronologically. When a locality is unspecific (e.g., “Venezuela” or “eastern 

Venezuela are provided when available. Within any one longitude, records are arranged by latitude from south to north. For identical 

garita Island”), then no coordinates are assigned. 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

B. borealis SUCRE: E. San Juan de Las Galdonas 10 44 62 50 

B. borealis N. ESPARTA: NE. Punta Ballena, Isla de Margarita 11 03 63 44 

B. borealis N. ESPARTA: E. Islote Farallón 10 58 63 45 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: NE. Islote Farallón 11 00 63 44 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: NE. Punta Ballena, Isla de Margarita 11 03 63 44 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: NE. Punta Ballena, Isla de Margarita 11 03 63 44 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: E. Islote Farallón 10 58 63 45 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: Pampatar, Isla de Margarita 11 00 63 48 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: Punta de Piedras, Isla de Margarita 10 54 64 07 

B. edeni SUCRE: Caiguire, Golfo de Cariaco 10 29 64 08 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: Ensenada de Charagato, Isla de Cubagua 10 49 64 10 

B. edeni N. ESPARTA: Boca del Río, Isla de Margarita 10 58 64 10 

B. edeni SUCRE: Península de Araya 10 35 64 17 

B. edeni SUCRE: Playa Colorada 10 25 64 18 

B. edeni Between Puerto La Cruz and Isla de Margarita 10 30 64 20 

B. edeni Between Puerto La Cruz and Porlamar 10 40 64 20 

B. edeni NW Isla Caracas and Picuda Grande 10 24 64 28 

B. edeni 10 km N-NW Isla Caracas del Oeste 10 25 64 29 

B. edeni Between Puerto La Cruz and Isla de Margarita 10 30 64 30 

B. edeni La Blanquilla 11 55 64 35 

B. edeni ANZOATEGUI: Off Puerto La Cruz 10 15 64 38 

B. edeni SE La Tortuga 10 50 65 10 

B. edeni 2 km NW I. La Tortuga 10 59 65 22 

B. edeni 20 nautical miles E of La Orchila 11 49 65 48 

B. edeni MIRANDA: between Boca del Horno and Los Totumos 10 32 66 04 

B. physalus N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 

B. physalus N. ESPARTA: Playa El Silguero, Isla de Margarita 10 53 63 54 

B. physalus FALCON: E coast of the Península de Paraguana 11 43 69 46 

M. novaeangliae VENEZUELA 

M. novaeangliae VENEZUELA 

M. novaeangliae VENEZUELA 

M. novaeangliae VENEZUELA 

M. novaeangliae Los Testigos 11 25 63 05 

M. novaeangliae Betweeen El Morro de Puerto Santo and Los Testigos 11 00 63 07 

M. novaeangliae Isla de Aves 15 46 63 37 

M. novaeangliae Off Cumana 10 29 64 15 

M. novaeangliae Between Puerto La Cruz and Islas Chimanas 10 16 64 38 

M. novaeangliae La Tortuga 10 51 65 18 

M. novaeangliae MIRANDA: Between Carenero and Buche 10 31 66 06 

M. novaeangliae VARGAS: Playa La Salina, Puerto Carayaca 10 34 67 05 

P. macrocephalus VENEZUELA 

P. macrocephalus VENEZUELAN CARIBBEAN 

P. macrocephalus Between Puerto La Cruz and Punta Penas 

P. macrocephalus N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 

P. macrocephalus Between El Morro de Puerto Santo and Los Testigos 11 00 63 07 

P. macrocephalus Between Los Testigos and Los Frailes 11 20 63 30 

Species 

Blanco, Isla de Margarita 

Blanco, Isla de Margarita 

Blanco, Isla de Margarita 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 5 

Table 2 

by-state from east to west. Since Venezuela is administratively divided into “states” (in the U.S. sense), each state’s name is fully capitalto any state). Freshwater records are ordered alphabetically by capitalized river name. Two such capitalized names indicate that the 

feature associated with the river. We have retained the original locality names and political units (states, districts) as much as possible. 

Venezuela”), it precedes any that are specific. Dates are shown by month (when available) followed by year. Map coordinates for 

coordinates, they are arranged chronologically beginning with the oldest record. When the location given is too imprecise (e.g., “MarRecord No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

7/1991 R. Verginelli-Torres* 

9/1966 1 >1 Mitchell 1974, Mitchell & Chapman 1977, Mitchell & Kozicki4 

2/1969 3 1 Mitchell 1974, Mitchell & Chapman 1977, Mitchell & Kozicki4 

9/1966 3 1 Mitchell 1974, Mitchell & Chapman 1977, Mitchell & Kozicki4 

6–7/1979 Mondolfi 1981 

9/1966 1 >1 Mitchell 1974, Mitchell & Chapman 1977, Mitchell & Kozicki4 

2/1969 3 1 Mitchell 1974, Mitchell & Chapman 1977, Mitchell & Kozicki4 

1970 5 1 Museo del Mar, Boca de Rio Casinos 1986, 

3/1979 5,7 1 Notarbartolo di Sciara 1983 

8/1962 Flores 1977 

1963 4,5 1 MEDIMAR n/n Cagnolaro & Notarbartolo di Sciara 1979 

8/1932 1 MCNC 1159 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo 1995 

4/1974 1 Mondolfi5 

8/1992 2 1 Picture seen by Agudo 

11/1979 1,5 125 + 2 Notarbartolo di Sciara 1983 

10–11/1977 1 86 Anonymous, text fn 4 

9/1979 Gremone 1979b 

9/1979 Gremone 1979b 

11/1979 Watkins 1981 

5/1993 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo 1995 

1979 2 1 Leatherwood et al. 1982 

5/1989 I. Agudo** 

1978 5 1 Notarbartolo di Sciara 1983 

3/1989 I. Agudo** 

8/1961 4,5 1 EBRG 11875 Agudo 1993 

b. 1954 5 >1 Anduze6 

8/1993 1 EBRG 17779 Bolaños Jiménez & Lira 1994, Lira et al. 1995 

2/1959 5 1 Agudo 1995, Lira et al. 1995 

XIX Century 6 >1 Townsend 1935 

1-4/1853 6 >1 Logbook bark Solon 

1853 6 >~2 Logbook brig September 

b. 1954 5 >1 Anduze6 

10/1989 I. López* 

9/1989 E. Marval* 

3/1990 >1 G. Solé* 

12/1870–4/1871 1,6 4 Logbook of the Thriver 

4/1990 2 1 Anonymous 1990 (Rev. Producto (82):22, July) 

2/1989 I. Agudo** 

1960 5,6? 1 Romero & Agudo 1993, Agudo 1995 

5/1990 2,4,5 1 LBCS n/n Agudo & Romero 1996, Boher & Garci7 

b. 1841 1 Codazzi 1841 

b. 1877 1 Ernst 1877 

8/1979 1 13 Notarbartolo di Sciara, text fn 2 

b. 1886 4 1 MCNC n/n Ernst 1886, Agudo & Romero 1996 

9/1989 I. López* 

b. 1967 1,6 >1 Vila 1967 

continued 

1 2 

2 3 

Agudo & Romero 1996 

5 1 

4,5 

4,5 

1 3 

1 1 

3 1 

4,5 

1 1 

1 1 

4,5,7? 

1 1 

1 2 

1 

1 1 

1 2 
6 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

47 P. macrocephalus SUCRE: Ensenada Los Chivos, Playa Los Bordones 10 27 64 12 

48 P. macrocephalus SUCRE: Punta Arenas, Península de Araya 10 30 64 14 

49 P. macrocephalus La Blanquilla 11 49 64 37 

50 P. macrocephalus N. ESPARTA: Off Porlamar, Isla de Margarita 10 55 63 51 

51 P. macrocephalus ANZOATEGUI: Between Uchire and Boca de Unare 10 07 65 15 

52 P. macrocephalus Higuerote - Laguna de Tacarigua, near Rio Chico 10 20 65 57 

53 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

54 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

55 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

56 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

57 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

58 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

59 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

60 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

61 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

62 I. geoffrensis VENEZUELA 

63 I. geoffrensis AGUARO: Playa del Sector La Vuelta del Oso 

64 I. geoffrensis APURE 

65 I. geoffrensis APURE 

66 I. geoffrensis APURE 

67 I. geoffrensis APURE 

68 I. geoffrensis APURE 

69 I. geoffrensis APURE 

70 I. geoffrensis APURE 

71 I. geoffrensis APURE 7 46 67 14 

72 I. geoffrensis APURE: Bogante 7 18 70 36 

73 I. geoffrensis APURE: El Perro 7 40 66 38 

74 I. geoffrensis APURE: Guaritico 7 53 68 51 

75 I. geoffrensis APURE: Guaritico 7 53 68 51 

76 I. geoffrensis APURE: above El Samán 7 52 68 42 

77 I. geoffrensis APURE: below Peñita 7 24 70 27 

78 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

79 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

80 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

81 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

82 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

83 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

84 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

85 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

86 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

87 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

88 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

89 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

90 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

91 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

92 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

93 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

94 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

95 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

96 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

97 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

98 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

99 I. geoffrensis APURE: San Fernando de Apure 7 55 67 30 

Species 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 7 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

8/1988 1 MCNC 1160 Agudo 1995,b 

3/1843 1 Logbook of Solon 

1761–1920 >1 Townsend 1935 

1984 J.C. Naser* 

b. 1841 5 Codazzi 1841 

1/1992 I. Agudo** 

4 EBRG CD36 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

4 MCNC 251 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

b. 1868 1(?) Ernst 1868 

4/1967 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1967 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1967 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1967 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1968 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1970 4,6 1 LACM-LARLB Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

1990 MCNUSB n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

2/1989 R. Henández* 

3/1647 1 >1 de Carvajal 1648 

4/1757 1 MS #2824, folios 191-195, Biblioteca del Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain 

b. 1841 1 Codazzi 1841 

b. 1884 4 Ernst 1884 

9/1893 4 UZM CN2 van Bree & Trebbau 1973 

3/1981 1 122 Pilleri & Pilleri 1982 

3/1983 Boede Wantzelius 1990 

8/1989 52 Schnapp & Howroyd 1992 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

2/1979 Pilleri 1979 

2/1979 Pilleri 1979 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4 MBUCV w/n Agudo & Romero 1996 

4 USNM 395602 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4 USNM 396166 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

3/1800 >1 von Humboldt 1814 

5/1966 4 1 MBUCV 135 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

5/1966 4, 6 1 ZMA 17771 ZMA data base 

3/1968 USNM 571263 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

3/1968 USNM 571264 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

3/1968 USNM 571429 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1968 4, 6 1 CAS 15977 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1969 USNM 395415 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

4/1969 USNM 395416 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

3/1973 4,6 1 ZMA 16109 van Bree & Trebbau 1973, ZMA data base 

b. 1974 1 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

b. 1974 5 Trebbau 1975 

b. 1974 4 1 MCNC b Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

b. 1974 4 1 MCNC c Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

b. 1974 4 1 MCNC d Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

5/1974 4,6 1 ZMA 16936 MZA data base 

3/1975 6 5 Ostenrath 1976, Schenkkan 1977, Sylvestre 1985 

2/1979 Pilleri 1979 

6/1985 Meade & Koehnken 1991 continued 

4,5 

1,6 

1 1 

1 4 

1 

1 

349 

351 

352 

441 

348 

350 

4 1 

3 2 

6 2 

1 

1 3 

1 5 

1 3 

1 2 

1 1 

1 2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 1 

4 1 

4 1 

4 1 

4 1 

1 4 

1 1 
8 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

100 I. geoffrensis APURE: E San Fernando de Apure 7 53 67 26 

101 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

102 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

103 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

104 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

105 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

106 I. geoffrensis APURE: 15 km W San Fernando de Apure 7 57 67 34 

107 I. geoffrensis APURE: From San Fernando de Apure to 45 km W 7 58 67 34 

108 I. geoffrensis APURE: Caicara del Orinoco 7 34 66 10 

109 I. geoffrensis APURITO 7 54 68 28 

110 I. geoffrensis APURITO 7 54 68 28 

111 I. geoffrensis ARAUCA (In front of El Yagual) 7 29 68 25 

112 I. geoffrensis ARAUCA (In front of El Yagual) 7 29 68 25 

113 I. geoffrensis ARO 7 56 64 14 

114 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 

115 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 

116 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 4 00 67 45 

117 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 4 00 67 45 

118 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 4 00 67 45 

119 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO 4 00 67 45 

120 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO: GUAVIARE 4 04 67 37 

121 I. geoffrensis ATABAPO: TEMI 3 14 67 24 

122 I. geoffrensis BARIA 1 30 66 30 

123 I. geoffrensis BARIA: PASIMONI 1 24 66 27 

124 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO 7 47 69 02 

125 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO 7 47 69 02 

126 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO 7 47 69 02 

127 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO 7 47 69 02 

128 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO 7 47 69 02 

129 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO: Hato El Frío 7 49 68 54 

130 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO: Hato El Frío 8 49 69 54 

131 I. geoffrensis CAÑO GUARITICO: Hato El Frío 9 49 70 54 

132 I. geoffrensis CAÑO LA TIGRA 7 42 69 46 

133 I. geoffrensis CAÑO MANATI 7 40 66 45 

134 I. geoffrensis CAPANAPARO 

135 I. geoffrensis CAPANAPARO 7 02 67 28 

136 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE 

137 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE 

138 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE 

139 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE 

140 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE:Tamatama-San Carlos de Río Negro 3 10 65 51 

141 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE: before CAÑO MANOMI 2 00 66 00 

142 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE: PASIMONI 1 54 66 36 

143 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE: before CAÑO EL PERRO 2 00 66 10 

144 I. geoffrensis CASIQUIARE: Solano 1 58 66 56 

145 I. geoffrensis CAURA 1 32 65 00 

146 I. geoffrensis CAURA: Laguna de Paramuto, near Maipa 7 24 65 00 

147 I. geoffrensis CINARUCO 6 35 67 17 

148 I. geoffrensis CINARUCO 6 35 67 17 

149 I. geoffrensis CINARUCO 6 35 67 17 

150 I. geoffrensis CINARUCO 

151 I. geoffrensis CUNAVICHITO 6 45 67 25 

152 I. geoffrensis GUANARE 

Species 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 9 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

3/1966 Trebbau 1975 

3/1966 Trebbau 1975 

5/1966 Trebbau 1975 

5/1966 Trebbau 1975 

3-4/1968 4,6 1 FMNH 57819 Trebbau 1975, Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

3-4/1968 Trebbau 1975 

7/1989 15 Schnapp & Howroyd 1992 

8/1989 Schnapp & Howroyd 1992 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

8/1989 Schnapp & Howroyd 1992 

9/1970 EBRG 1739 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

1978 40 Pilleri 1979 

10/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

b. 1841 1 Codazzi 1841 

b. 1868 1 Ernst 1868 

5/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

8/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1984 4-5 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1/1985 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4/1800 >1 von Humboldt 1814 

4/1800 >1 von Humboldt 1814 

b. 1988 1 5-6 O’Hanlon 1988 

12/1970-1/1971 Pilleri 1979 +R. Hoogerstein 

1970-1977 1 >1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 >1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

7/1987 Boede Wantzelius 1990 

7/1987 Boede Wantzelius 1990 

2/1979 Pilleri 1979 

5/1984 MNHLS 6886 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

5/1984 MNHLS 6899 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1986 >-4 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1970–1977 1 >1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

1851 Wallace 1889 

b. 1877 1 Ernst 1877 

b. 1891 1 Ernst 1891 

1983 1 >1 Best & da Silva 1983 

5/1981 Pilleri & Pilleri 1982 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

b. 1988 O’Hanlon 1988 

6/1985 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

b. 1979 1 Pilleri 1979 + R. Hoogerstein*? 

1970–1977 1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

11/1982 >3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

11/1993–6/1994 489/972 McGuire & Winemiller 1998 

8/1989 1 5 A. Romero & A. Mayayo** 

1960–69 >1 Harrison & Brownell 1971 continued 

1 3 

6 1 

6 1 

6 1 

6 1 

6 1 

1 

1 9 

1 3 

1 9 

4 1 

5 

1 2 

1 1 

1 2 

1 

1 3 

1 

1 

1 6 

1 6 

6 1 

6 1 

1 1 

4 1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

4 1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 1 

1 

1 

1 8 

1 2 

1 3 

1 3 

1 1 

1 2 

1 

1 

6 
10 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

153 I. geoffrensis GUANARE VIEJO 

154 I. geoffrensis GUANARE: Near Arismendi 8 28 68 22 

155 I. geoffrensis GUARICO 7 55 67 28 

156 I. geoffrensis GUARICO 7 55 67 28 

157 I. geoffrensis GUAVIARITO (Trib. of the Manapiare, Amazonas state) 

158 I. geoffrensis GUAVIARITO (Trib. of the Manapiare, Amazonas state) 

159 I. geoffrensis MANAPIARE: San Juan, 163 km E Puerto Ayacucho 5 19 66 08 

160 I. geoffrensis MANAPIARE: San Juan de Manapiare 5 19 66 03 

161 I. geoffrensis MANAPIARE: N San Juan de Manapiare, Amazonas 5 21 66 03 

162 I. geoffrensis MAVACA 2 00 65 10 

163 I. geoffrensis NEGRO: Cucuy 1 14 66 50 

164 I. geoffrensis NEGRO: Solano 1 58 66 57 

165 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

166 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

167 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

168 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

169 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

170 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

171 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

172 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO 

173 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO (lower) 

174 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO (lower) 

175 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO (upper) 

176 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO (upper) 3 55 67 05 

177 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: APURE 7 37 66 24 

178 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: APURE 7 37 66 24 

179 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: APURE 7 37 66 24 

180 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: ARATURE (Delta region) 8 34 61 00 

181 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: ARO 7 58 64 11 

182 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Atabapo 4 04 67 43 

183 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Atabapo 4 04 67 43 

184 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Barrancas 8 62 12 

185 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Cabruta 7 40 66 13 

186 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: between Cabruta and Ciudad Guayana 

187 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Caicara del Orinoco 7 34 66 10 

188 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Caicara del Orinoco 7 34 66 10 

189 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: below Caicara del Orinoco 7 33 66 22 

190 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: CAÑO ARAGUAITO (Delta region) 8 50 61 33 

191 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: CAÑO ARAGUAITO (Delta region) 8 50 61 33 

192 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: CAÑO ARAGUAITO (Delta region) 8 50 61 33 

193 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: CAÑO CARIDAD 3 35 66 42 

194 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: CAÑO EL TORO (Delta region) 8 32 61 30 

195 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Castillito 4 19 67 46 

196 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Ciudad Bolivar 8 11 63 34 

197 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Ciudad Bolivar 8 11 63 35 

198 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Ciudad Bolivar 8 11 63 35 

199 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: above Ciudad Guayana 8 22 62 36 

200 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Cunucunuma 3 11 66 01 

201 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Delta region 8 40 62 10 

202 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: El Infierno 8 04 64 24 

203 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: El Jobal (below SUAPURE) 6 38 67 00 

204 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Esmeralda 3 10 65 32 

205 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Esmeralda 3 10 65 32 

Species 

41 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 11 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

4/1967 LACM 28257 Smithsonian Institution Computer Files 

1970–1977 1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

b. 1979 1 Pilleri 1979+R. Hoogerstein 

2–3/1972 Pilleri 1979+ R. Hoogerstein 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

9/1967 USNM 406801 Handley 1976 

9/1973 4,6 1 ZMA 17614 ZMA data base 

9/1973 4,6 1 ZMA 17615 van Bree & Trebbau 1973, ZMA data base 

11/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1983 1 Best & da Silva 1983 

8/1973 4,6 1 ZMA 17613 van Bree & Trebbau 1973 

1 >1 Best & da Silva 1989b 

4 LACM 54453 LACM data base 

b. 1841 1 Codazzi 1841 

b. 1868 1 Ernst 1868 

b.1871 7-8 Appun 1871 

b. 1877 1 Ernst 1877 

b. 1891 1 Ernst 1891 

1907? >1 Mozans 1910 

1755 1 Romero et al. 1997a 

1983 1 Best & da Silva 1983 

1851 >1 Wallace 1889 

1 Starkell 1988 

4/1800 von Humboldt 1814 

10/1984 >-6 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1987 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1800 von Humboldt 1814 

b. 1868 1 Ernst 1868 

1 >1 Best & da Silva 1989b 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1757–1766 >1 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1970–1977 1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

10/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1987 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1989 >-2 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1990 >-3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

10/1987 Meade & Kohenken 1991 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

1 Kasuya & Kajihara 1974 

1970 –1977 1 Pilleri et Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

10/1990 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

11/1984 1 >-2 Meade 

1 2 Kasuya (in litt.) (see Meade & Koehnken 1991) 

b. 1986 2 Maraven 1986 

10/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1 Best & da Silva 1989a 

1983 1 Best & da Silva 1989a continued 

4 1 

1 

4 1 

1 1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 1 

1 2 

1 3 

1 2 

1 2 

1 

1 1 

1 2 

1 

1 

1 4 

1 1 

1 1 

4 

1 1 

& Koehnken 1991 

1 2 
12 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

206 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Gallo 6 23 67 13 

207 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Guachapana (above VENTUARI) 3 52 67 04 

208 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Guachapana (above VENTUARI) 3 52 67 04 

209 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Guachapana (above VENTUARI) 3 52 67 04 

210 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: GUAVIARE 4 00 67 40 

211 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: GUAVIARE 4 00 67 40 

212 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: GUAVIARE 4 00 67 40 

213 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Isla Carnaban 4 11 67 15 

214 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Isla del Pato 3 18 66 33 

215 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Laguna de Monduapo 4 54 67 47 

216 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Las Bonitas 7 51 65 38 

217 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: below Las Bonitas 7 51 65 38 

218 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: below Las Bonitas 7 51 65 38 

219 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: above Mapire 7 44 64 43 

220 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: above Mapire 7 44 64 43 

221 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: above Mapire 7 44 64 43 

222 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 18 67 30 

223 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 10 67 30 

224 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 10 67 30 

225 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 10 67 30 

226 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 10 67 30 

227 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: META 6 10 67 30 

228 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Monduapo (above VICHADA) 4 45 67 47 

229 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: OCAMO 2 47 65 12 

230 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: above OCAMO 2 50 65 14 

231 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Platanal 2 25 64 54 

232 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Puerto Ayacucho 5 40 67 35 

233 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Puerto Ayacucho 5 40 67 35 

234 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Puerto Ayacucho 5 40 67 35 

235 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: near Sacupana 8 39 61 48 

236 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: San Fernando de Atabapo 4 03 67 41 

237 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Santa María del Orinoco 6 36 67 08 

238 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Santa Bárbara del Orinoco 3 46 67 02 

239 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Santa Bárbara del Orinoco 3 46 67 02 

240 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Santa Bárbara del Orinoco 3 46 67 02 

241 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Santa Bárbara del Orinoco 3 46 67 02 

242 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tamatama (confluence with CASIQUIARE) 3 08 65 51 

243 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tamatama (confluence with CASIQUIARE) 3 08 65 51 

244 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tamatama (confluence with CASIQUIARE) 3 08 65 51 

245 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tamatama (confluence with CASIQUIARE) 3 08 65 51 

246 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tití 3 57 67 23 

247 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: Tití 3 57 67 23 

248 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: TOMO 5 22 67 48 

249 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: between Venado and Tamatama 3 03 65 55 

250 I. geoffrensis ORINOCO: VICHADA 4 56 67 48 

251 I. geoffrensis PARGUAZA 6 13 67 06 

252 I. geoffrensis PASIMONI: BARIA 1 25 66 25 

253 I. geoffrensis PORTUGUESA 8 05 67 37 

254 I. geoffrensis PORTUGUESA: near Guadarrama 8 30 68 02 

255 I. geoffrensis PORTUGUESA: near Guadarrama 8 30 68 02 

256 I. geoffrensis RAUDAL WAICA/CODAZZI (GUACA) 2 01 64 01 

257 I. geoffrensis SARARE: above Guasdualito 7 19 70 42 

258 I. geoffrensis SURIPA 7 49 69 58 

Species 

Amazonas 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 13 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

4/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4/1800 von Humboldt 1814 

b. 1841 1 Codazzi 1841 

b. 1868 1 Ernst 1868 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

3/1887 12 Chaffanjon 1889 

10/1984 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

10/1984 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

6/1986 >-2 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

4/1989 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

4/1989 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

Kasuya & Kajihara 1974 

4 ICNB 3703 Casinos & Ocana 1979 

5/1897 Bürger 1900 

6/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

6/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1983 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

4/1984 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

11/1984 >-3 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

11/1984 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

11/1984 >-3 Meade & Koehenken 1991 

1970–1977 1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1994 

1983–1986 -3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

b. 1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

3/1993 EBRG 17458 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

1981 Pilleri et al. 1982 

4/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

6/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1/1985 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4 EBRG 4128 Bolaños Jiménez 1994 

5/1967 1 USNM 406802 Handley 1976 

11/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1989 MCNUSB w/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

9/1984 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

6/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

6/1985 4-5 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4/1981 12 Pilleri & Pilleri 1992 

10/1984 >-3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1983 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

b. 1988 1 >1 O’Hanlon 1988 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

1970–1977 1 Pilleri & Gihr 1977 

1974 1 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

8/1951 Anduze 1960 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1986 Meade & Koehnken 1991 continued 

1 1 

1 2 

1 1 

1 1 

1 

1 1 

1 2 

1 3 

1 

1 2 

1 1 

1 

1 3 

1 2 

1 

1 

1 3 

1 1 

1 2 

1 1 

1 

1 1 

1 

1 

1 2 

4 1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 1 

1 1 

1 3 

1 1 

1 

4,6 

1 3 

4 1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 2 

1 1 

1 

1 

1 

1 3 

1 2 

1 

1 1 

1 2 
14 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

259 I. geoffrensis TEMI 3 15 67 25 

260 I. geoffrensis TEMI: TUAMINI 3 14 67 23 

261 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: San Juan 5 21 66 03 

262 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: San Juan 5 21 66 03 

263 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: Kanaripó 4 05 66 51 

264 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: Kanaripó 4 05 66 51 

265 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: Kanaripó 4 05 66 51 

266 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: Kanaripó 4 05 66 51 

267 I. geoffrensis VENTUARI: Kanaripó 4 05 66 51 

268 I. geoffrensis Isla de Margarita 

269 S. bredanensis VENEZUELA: Caribbean 

270 S. bredanensis SUCRE: Ensenada de Tigrillo 10 22 64 23 

271 S. fluviatilis VENEZUELA 

272 S. fluviatilis DELTA DEL ORINOCO: Orinoco-Arature confluence 8 36 60 54 

273 S. fluviatilis DELTA DEL ORINOCO: Cano Araguaito 8 50 61 33 

274 S. fluviatilis DELTA DEL ORINOCO: Cano Araguaito 8 50 61 33 

275 S. fluviatilis DELTA DEL ORINOCO: Cano Araguaito 8 50 61 33 

276 S. fluviatilis SUCRE: RÍO SAN JUAN, Golfo de Paria 10 06 62 38 

277 S. fluviatilis BOLIVAR: ORINOCO above Ciudad Guayana 8 22 62 36 

278 S. fluviatilis SUCRE: CAÑO GUARIQUEN 10 24 62 53 

279 S. fluviatilis SUCRE: RÍO MANZANARES 10 27 64 10 

280 S. fluviatilis ORINOCO: Vuelta del Torno, Isla del Infierno 8 04 64 24 

281 S. fluviatilis ORINOCO: La Esmeralda 3 10 65 32 

282 S. fluviatilis ORINOCO: between Cabruta and Caicara 7 40 66 15 

283 S. fluviatilis VARGAS 

284 S. fluviatilis FALCON: Playa Sixto, La Vela de Coro 11 28 69 35 

285 S. fluviatilis FALCON: mouth RÍO CORO 11 28 69 35 

286 S. fluviatilis ZULIA 

287 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Canada de Hamburgo, Estrecho Lago de Maracaibo 10 35 71 35 

288 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Lago de Maracaibo 10 00 71 40 

289 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Lago de Maracaibo 10 00 71 40 

290 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Lago de Maracaibo 10 00 71 40 

291 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Lago de Maracaibo 10 00 71 40 

292 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: 15 km N Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

293 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: 15 km N Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

294 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: 15 km N Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

295 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: 15 km N Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

296 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: 15 km N Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

297 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: South Lago de Maracaibo 9 15 71 45 

298 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Boca de la Laguna La Paloma 9 30 71 50 

299 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Boca de la Laguna La Paloma 9 30 71 50 

300 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: San Isidro, Laguna de Lagunetas 9 30 71 55 

301 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: San Isidro, Laguna de Lagunetas 9 30 71 55 

302 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: San Isidro, Laguna de Lagunetas 9 30 71 55 

303 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: San Isidro, Laguna de Lagunetas 9 30 71 55 

304 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: San Isidro, Laguna de Lagunetas 9 30 71 55 

305 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Ologa 9 30 72 00 

306 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Ologa 9 30 72 00 

307 S. fluviatilis ZULIA: Rio Zulia, confluence with Catatumbo 9 04 72 17 

308 G. griseus La Blanquilla Is. 11 48 64 37 

309 G. griseus Ensenada El Falucho, La Blanquilla Is. 11 49 64 38 

310 T. truncatus SUCRE: Boca de Drago 10 44 61 48 

311 T. truncatus SUCRE: Boca de Drago 10 44 61 48 

Species 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 15 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

4/1800 von Humboldt 1814 

5/1800 von Humboldt 1814 

1983 >-3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

7/1983 >-3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4/1984 2 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1984 1 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

5/1984 >-3 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

8/1984 1 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

6/1986 1 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

4 1 MCNC 215 Trebbau & van Bree 1974 

1 1 Ernst 1981 

8/1986 5 1 Agudo 1995 

6 >1 Northridge 1984 

10/1990 >4 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1987 >5 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1989 >2 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

10/1990 >2 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

8/1978 3 Mondolfi & Muller8 

10/1990 2 Meade & Koehnken 1991 

3/1990 2 A. Martínez and D. Mueler* 

7/1799 >1 von Humboldt 1814 

4/1986–3/1987 >1 Maraven 

1/1990 1 >1 Borobia et al. 1991 + J. Ojasti* 

1/1990 1 >1 Borobia et al. 1991 + J. Ojasti* 

4 1 MBUCV 136 A. Mayayo** 

2/1985 4 1 MCIMAR n/n Agudo et al. 1994 

1960’s >1 J. Coty* 

b. 1996 ? 4 Alvarado et al. 1995 

5/1985 5,6 1 MBLUZ-M-0006 Agudo et al. 1994 

6/1911 4 1 FMNH 18801 Osgood 1912, Borobia et al. 1991 

6/1911 4 1 FMNH 18802 Osgood 1912, Borobia et al. 1991 

5/1912 4 1 FMNH 34906 Borobia et al. 1991 

5/1912 4 1 FMNH 34907 Borobia et al. 1991 

3/1977 5 1 MCIBLUZ-M-775 Agudo et al. 1994 

3/1977 5 1 MCIBLUZ-M-776 Agudo et al. 1994 

3/1977 5 1 MCIBLUZ-M-777 Agudo et al. 1994 

3/1987 5 1 MCIBLUZ-M-7710 Agudo et al. 1994 

1989 5 1 MCIBLUZ-M-0152 Agudo et al. 1994 

1987 >1 Duarte Leal 1991 

4/1991 5 1 MBLUZ-M-0165 Agudo et al. 1994 

4/1991 >1 Rodríguez et al. 1993 

2/1981 5 1 EBRG 2748 Casinos et al. 1981 

2/1981 5 1 EBRG n/n Casinos et al. 1981 

2/1981 5 1 MBUCV 2819 Casinos et al. 1981, da Silva & Best 1994 

2/1981 4 1 EBRG CD 38 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

11/1981 1 EBRG 2891 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

4/1991 1 EBRG 17056 Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

b. 1993 3 8 Caballero 1992 

1990 5 Agudo 1995 

8/1988 7 1 MCNUSB n/n Romero et al. 1991 

8/1988 >1 Agudo 1995b 

1988 4 1 EBRG 10836 Romero et al. 1991 

1988 4 1 EBRG 10837 Romero et al. 1991 continued 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2, 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

Agudo & Romero 1996 

4 Agudo & Romero 1996 

5 

1 

1 
16 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

312 T. truncatus SUCRE: Boca de Drago 10 44 61 48 

313 T. truncatus N. ESPARTA: Playa Pampatar 10 59 63 48 

314 T. truncatus N. ESPARTA: Southern beach, Municipio Tubores 10 53 64 05 

315 T. truncatus N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 11 00 64 05 

316 T. truncatus N. ESPARTA: Cubagua 10 48 64 10 

317 T. truncatus SUCRE: Off Cumaná 10 29 64 11 

318 T. truncatus SUCRE: Playa Los Uveros, Carúpano 10 40 64 15 

319 T. truncatus SUCRE: Off Araya beaches, Península de Araya 10 35 64 17 

320 T. truncatus SUCRE: Golfo de Santa Fé 10 15 64 25 

321 T. truncatus La Blanquilla 10 50 64 37 

322 T. truncatus ANZOATEGUI: Mouth of RIO UNARE 10 06 65 12 

323 T. truncatus MIRANDA: Carenero-Buche-Los Totumos 10 30 66 05 

324 T. truncatus VARGAS: Balneario Naiguatá 10 38 66 44 

325 T. truncatus FALCON: Isla de Pájaros 10 50 68 15 

326 T. truncatus FALCON: Isla de Pájaros 10 50 68 15 

327 T. truncatus FALCON: Isla de Pájaros 10 50 68 15 

328 T. truncatus ZULIA 

329 T. truncatus ZULIA: Caimare Chico, Distrito Páez 11 40 71 40 

330 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 

331 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 10 57 61 34 

332 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 11 02 61 54 

333 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 11 02 61 54 

334 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 11 00 62 07 

335 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 11 25 62 22 

336 S. frontalis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

337 S. frontalis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

338 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 11 00 64 00 

339 S. frontalis N. ESPARTA: Ensenada La Guardia, Isla de Margarita 11 03 64 12 

340 S. frontalis SUCRE: Golfo de Santa Fe 10 15 64 25 

341 S. frontalis Isla La Tortuga 10 57 65 13 

342 S. frontalis Isla La Tortuga 10 56 65 18 

343 S. frontalis ANZOATEGUI: Boca de Uchire 10 09 65 26 

344 S. frontalis VARGAS: N Cabo Codera 10 36 66 03 

345 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 10 52 66 28 

346 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 10 52 66 28 

347 S. frontalis VENEZUELA 10 41 66 00 

348 S. frontalis FALCON: Playa Sixto, La Vela de Coro 11 28 69 35 

349 S. frontalis ZULIA 

350 S. frontalis ZULIA: Isla San Carlos, N shore, Municipio Insular Padilla 10 59 71 36 

351 S. frontalis ZULIA: Isla San Carlos, N shore, Municipio Insular Padilla 10 59 71 36 

352 S. frontalis ZULIA: Caimare Chico, Municipio Páez 11 40 71 40 

353 S. attenuata ANZOATEGUI 

354 S. longirostris VENEZUELA 

355 S. longirostris SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

356 S. longirostris SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

357 S. longirostris SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

358 S. longirostris SUCRE: Off Turpialito, Golfo de Cariaco 10 26 64 02 

359 S. longirostris N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 11 00 64 05 

360 S. longirostris SUCRE: Off RÍO MANZANARES mouth, Cumaná 10 28 64 11 

361 S. longirostris SUCRE: Punta Arenas, Peninsula de Araya 10 30 64 14 

362 S. longirostris SUCRE: Punta Arenas, Peninsula de Araya 10 30 64 14 

363 S. longirostris SUCRE: Bahia de Mochima 10 21 64 21 

364 S. longirostris SUCRE: Golfo de Santa Fé, 10 19 64 25 

Species 

Parque Nacional Mochima 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 17 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

1988 4 1 EBRG 10838 Romero et al. 1991 

3/1990 Agudo 1995 

1960 –1961 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994 

b. 1981 1,6 >1 Cervigón & Velásquez 1981 

4/1970 Fundación La Salle Casinos 1986 

3/1990 >1 I. Agudo** 

5/1990 Agudo 1995 

4/1990 -50 C.J. Rodríguez-Blondell* 

3/1990 6 1 Agudo 1995 

3/1966 Caldwell & Caldwell 1971b 

5 MHNLS n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

1973 12 J. Sánchez* 

4/1962 5 1 Agudo 1995 

9/1986 1,7 30 Tami et al. 1987 

9/1986 4 1 EBRG 13639 Romero et al. 1991 

9/1986 EBRG 15484 I. Agudo** 

b. 1996 ? 4 Alvarado et al. 1995 

7/1977 CVTLUZ-MAM-778 Agudo et al. 1994 

4 MCNUSB n/n A.I. Agudo** 

4 1 EDM 710 Perrin et al. 1987 

2/1969 4 1 AMNH 239112 Perrin et al. 1987 

2/1969 4 1 AMNH 239114 Perrin et al. 1987 

2/1972 1 12-15 Taruski & Winn 1976 

2/1972 1 12 Taruski & Winn 1976 

8/1988 4,6 1 EBRG 16884 Agudo 1990, Romero et al. 1991 

8/1988 4,6 1 EBRG 16889 Agudo 1990, Romero et al. 1991 

1 Perrin et al. 1987 

1991 MEDIMAR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

9/1988 3, 6 1 H. Ramírez Nahim* 

1/1998 >100 Bolaños & Boher 1998 

5/1990 25 A. Martínez, erginelli-Torres* 

1989 MCNUSB n/n Agudo 1995 

9/1989 2 Rev. Business Venezuela Kersher 1991 + H. Ramírez Nahim 

9/1966 4 1 AMNH 239113 Perrin et al. 1987 

4 1 EDM 706 Perrin et al. 1987 

4 2 ZMA n/n Perrin et al. 1987 

3/1990 1 MCIMAR n/n Agudo 1995 

b. 1996 ? 4 Alvarado et al. 1995 

6/1900 4 1 IC n/n Agudo et al. 1994 

4/1994 4,5 1 IC n/n Agudo et al. 1994 

1991 4 1 IC n/n Agudo et al. 1994 

1979 1 2 G. Notarbartolo di Sciara** 

1969 Leatherwood et al. 1976 

8/1988 4,6 1 EBRG 16885 Agudo 1990, Romero et al. 1991 

8/1988 4,6 1 EBRG 16886 Agudo 1990, Romero et al. 1991 

8/1988 4,6 1 EBRG 16888 Agudo 1990, Romero et al. 1991 

1989 >1 I. Agudo** 

11/1979 1 150-400 Perrin et al. 1981 

5/1990 13 R. Verginelli-Torres* 

11/1799 15-16 von Humboldt 1814 

2/1990 A.I. Agudo** 

8/1990 26 I. Agudo** 

10/1986 Siglo 21, Cumana continued 

5 1 

5 1 

4 1 

1 

5 1 

2 

3, 

7 1 

1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 

3, 

4 1 

5 1 

1 

5 1 Agudo & Romero 1996 

5 

1 R. V

5 1 

4,5 

2 3 

1 

1 

1 

1 6 

1 

3 1 
18 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Locality °′N °′W 

365 S. longirostris ANZOATEGUI: W Isla Caracas del Este 10 16 64 27 

366 S. longirostris ANZOATEGUI: Puerto La Cruz 10 13 64 38 

367 S. longirostris ANZOATEGUI: Puerto La Cruz-Punta Peñas 10 16 64 38 

368 S. longirostris VARGAS: Punta El Caribe, Camurí Chico 10 38 66 42 

369 S. longirostris Isla de Barlovento, Archipiélago Las Aves 11 58 67 27 

370 S. longirostris NE Paraguaná- I. Aves de Sotavento-Arch. Las Aves 12 00 67 40 

371 S. clymene SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

372 S. coeruleoalba 5 nautical mi. S La Blanquilla Is. 10 43 64 35 

373 S. coeruleoalba 15 nautical mi. SW La Blanquilla Is. 11 40 64 50 

374 S. coeruleoalba VENEZUELA 12 55 67 00 

375 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

376 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

377 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

378 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

379 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

380 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

381 D. capensis VENEZUELA 

382 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

383 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

384 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

385 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

386 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

387 D. capensis SUCRE: El Morro de Puerto Santo 10 44 63 09 

388 D. capensis VENEZUELA 10 54 63 38 

389 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Bella Vista, Porlamar, Isla de Margarita 10 58 63 49 

390 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Playa La Galera, Juan Griego, Isla de Margarita 11 05 63 59 

391 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Punta de Piedras, Isla de Margarita 10 54 64 06 

392 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Laguna de Raya, Isla de Margarita 10 55 64 06 

393 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Laguna de Raya, Isla de Margarita 10 55 64 06 

394 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 11 00 64 06 

395 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 11 00 64 06 

396 D. capensis SUCRE: Golfo de Cariaco 10 30 64 10 

397 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Playa La Yegua, Isla de Margarita 10 58 64 10 

398 D. capensis SUCRE: Off Cumaná 10 29 64 11 

399 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Playa El Saco, Ensenada de La Guardia, Isla de Margarita 11 03 64 12 

400 D. capensis SUCRE: Playa San Luis, Cumaná 10 27 64 13 

401 D. capensis SUCRE: Playa San Luis, Cumaná 10 27 64 13 

402 D. capensis Between Puerto La Cruz and Porlamar 10 40 64 20 

403 D. capensis Between Mochima and Península de Macanao 10 40 64 20 

404 D. capensis SUCRE: W coast of the Sucre state 10 27 64 22 

405 D. capensis SUCRE: Parque Nacional Mochima 10 22 64 22 

406 D. capensis ANZOATEGUI: Punta Tigrillo 10 22 64 23 

407 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Robledal 11 02 64 24 

408 D. capensis ANZOATEGUI: N Isla Caracas 10 25 64 26 

409 D. capensis NW Isla Caracas and I. Picuda Grande 10 24 64 28 

410 D. capensis ANZOATEGUI: Off Puerto La Cruz 10 13 64 31 

411 D. capensis Between Puerto La Cruz and Punta Penas 10 16 64 38 

412 D. capensis N. ESPARTA: Beach south Municipio Tubores 10 54 65 05 

413 D. capensis MIRANDA: 1 mi. N Cabo Codera 10 35 66 03 

414 D. capensis VARGAS: Playa Pescao, Los Caracas 10 38 66 34 

415 F. attenuata FALCON: Playa Tutacas 10 48 68 19 

416 P. crassidens SUCRE 

417 P. crassidens Agudo 1995b 10 16 64 38 

Species 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 19 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

10/1979 –500 Gremone 1979c 

2 4 Leatherwood et al. 1982 

8/1979 1 30 Notarbartolo di Sciara, text fn 2 

1977 Prieto 1977 

11/1971 4 1 ZMA 15138 van Halewijn & van Bree 1972 

4/1990 M.E. Capaldo 

8/1988 4, 7 1 EBRG 16887 Agudo 1990, Agudo & Romero 1996 

8/1993 2 20 R. Varela and J.C. Capelo* 

3/1990 12 G. Solé* 

7/1991 25 Jefferson & Lynn 1994 

4 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

4 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

4 1 MDMCU n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

4 1 MDMCU n/n I. Agudo** 

b. 1868 1 Ernst 1868 

b. 1877 1 Ernst 1877 

b. 1891 1 Ernst 1891 

2/1993 2, 6 13 Romero et al. 1997b 

2/1993 4,6 1 MHNLS n/n A.I. Agudo and A. Romero** 

2/1993 4,6 1 MHNLS n/n A.I. Agudo and A. Romero** 

2/1993 4,6 1 MHNLS n/n A.I. Agudo and A. Romero** 

2/1993 4,6 1 MHNLS n/n A.I. Agudo and A. Romero** 

2/1993 4,6 1 MHNLS n/n A.I. Agudo and A. Romero** 

9/1966 1 EDM 709 Mitchell 1970 

1/1994 2 MDMBR n/n Agudo 1995 

12/1992 4 1 LBCS w/n Agudo & Romero 1996 

2/1993 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

5/1994 1 MDMBR n/n Agudo 1995 

5/1955 5 3 Garcia et al. 1995, Díaz et al. 1995, Bolaños et al. 1995 

b. 1884 1 1 Ernst 1884 

b. 1981 1 >1 Cervigón & Velásquez 1981 

b. 1977 2, 6 1 Flores 1977 

6/1993 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

3/1990 >1 I. Agudo** 

6/1993 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

1/1971 5 1 MDMCU n/n Romero et al. 1991 

5/1977 5 1 MDMCU n/n Romero et al. 1991 

10 –11/1977 1 5-1,000 Evans et al. 1979 

6/1979 >300 Gremone 1979a 

1/1979 -350 Notarbartolo Di Sciara9 

1989 12 Jácome 1989 

7/1979 4,6 4 EBRG CD37 Gremone 1979a, Agudo & Romero 1996 

10/1971 4,6 1 ZMA 15137 van Halewijn & van Bree 1972 

9/1979 16x15-200 Gremone 1979b,c 

9/1979 >1 Gremone 1979b 

1977 >1 Mondolfi 1981 

8/1979 820 Agudo 1995b 

1960–1961 1 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, 

8/1990 -50 I. Agudo* 

8/1980 1 Agudo 1995 

2/1998 1,5 3 Villarroel et al. 1998 

5 Casinos 1986 + Castellanos* 

8/1979 Mondolfi 1981 continued 

1 

2 

2 

1 

1 

Agudo & Romero 1996 

Agudo & Romero 1996 

Agudo & Romero 1996 

4 

4,6 

5 Agudo & Romero 1996 

5 

5 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 

5 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 

1,6 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 Agudo & Romero 1996 

1 

5 

1 
20 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 2 (continued) 

Lat. Long. 

Record Species Locality °′N °′W 

418 P. crassidens Cayo Bequeve, Arch. Los Roques 11 52 66 55 

419 P. crassidens Archipiélago Las Aves 12 00 67 33 

420 P. crassidens ANZOATEGUI: SE Cayo Borracha 10 58 68 15 

421 P. crassidens FALCON: San Juan de los Cayos 11 12 68 25 

422 O. orca SW Isla de Aves 15 30 63 45 

423 O. orca 40 Nautical miles SW of Isla de Aves 15 11 64 07 

424 O. orca SUCRE: N Isla Picúa Pequena and Picúa Grande 10 21 64 30 

425 O. orca SE Isla La Blanquilla 11 46 64 30 

426 O. orca Isla La Blanquilla 10 50 64 37 

427 O. orca NW Isla La Blanquilla 11 58 64 38 

428 O. orca E Isla La Orchila 11 15 66 01 

429 O. orca Halfway between Arch. Los Roques and La Guaira 11 10 66 45 

430 O. orca VARGAS: Off La Guaira 10 40 66 55 

431 O. orca FALCON: Playuela, Parque Nacional Morrocoy 10 50 68 14 

432 O. orca ZULIA: Isla de San Carlos, Bahia del Tablazo 10 59 71 36 

433 G. macrorhynchus VENEZUELAN CARIBBEAN 

434 G. macrorhynchus N. ESPARTA: Isla de Margarita 

435 G. macrorhynchus N. ESPARTA: 20 km from El Guamache 10 53 64 03 

436 G. macrorhynchus La Blanquilla 10 55 64 37 

437 G. macrorhynchus La Blanquilla 10 55 64 37 

438 G. macrorhynchus La Blanquilla 10 55 64 37 

439 G. macrorhynchus 20 nautical mi. W La Blanquilla 11 46 65 00 

440 Z. cavirostris N. ESPARTA: Tubores, Isla de Margarita 10 54 64 05 

441 Z. cavirostris Las Tres Playas, S. Coast La Blanquilla 11 48 64 37 

442 Z. cavirostris 3 nautical miles Playa El Yaque, S. La Blanquilla 11 48 64 38 

443 Z. cavirostris ZULIA: Playa Zulia-Mar, N Caimare Chico 11 13 71 52 

1 Record types: 1= sighting; 2 = photograph or videotape; 3 = tagging; 4 = museum specimen; 5 = stranding; 6 = intentional capture; 7 = incidental capture. 

2 The abbreviations for museum collections can be found in Appendix I. 

3 * = personal observation by person cited (affiliations are given in the acknowledgments section). ** = personal observation by one of the authors. 

4	 Mitchell, E. D., and V. M. Kozicki. 1974. The sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. IWC/SC/SP74/32, Arctic Biological Station, Fisheries and 

Marine Service, Department of the Environment, Box 400, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Province de Quebec, Canada, 48 p., unpubl. manuscr. 

5 Mondolfi, E. 1981. A preliminary report of the marine mammals in Venezuelan waters, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela, 10 p., 

unpubl. manuscr. 

6 Anduze, P. J. 1954. Orden Cetacea. In Mamíferos de Venezuela, insectivora perisodactyla. Bibl. FLASA, Soc. Cienc. Nat. La Salle, Caracas, 412 p., unpubl. manuscr. 

“Tonina,” a derivative of the Latin word thunnus (tuna), 

was introduced by the Spaniards in Latin America and 

used for dolphins because, to an untrained observer, they 

resemble tuna, but “tonina” is no longer used in Spain. 

It, along with “delfín” (dolphin) and “ballena” (whale), 

is used for many species and all three words are thus very 

imprecise. There is also a great deal of regional variation 

in usage. “Delfín,” for example, is used in Venezuelan urban areas to identify species of the genera Steno, Sotalia, 

Delphinus, Tursiops, and Stenella. “Tonina,” on the other 

hand, is used for the same species in rural areas. Thus, 

there is a need for standard nomenclature in vernacular 

Spanish names of cetaceans to facilitate communication 

for legislation, trade, and conservation purposes, and as 

synonyms in popular writing. 

We therefore offer our recommendations for the 

common name for each species. For some species, this 

is neither difficult nor controversial because we found 

a single name used universally. Other cases are more 

complex because names used by fishermen differ from 

those used by biologists, names vary geographically, the 

same name is used for several species, and there may be 

no vernacular name, particularly for rare species. Our 

recommendations have been guided by the principles 

adopted by the American Fisheries Society’s Committee on Names of Fishes (Robins et al., 1991) and the 

American Ornithologists’ Union’s Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (AOU, 1998). 

The basis of our recommendations for common 

names is: 

1) 	Uniqueness and lack of ambiguity, i.e., a single vernacular name for each species and no two species 

sharing the same Spanish name; 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 21 

Table 2 (continued) 

Record No. of 

Date1 type individ. Museum specimen2 Reference3 

3/1993 2,5,6 1 Agudo 1995 

6/1883 5 1 USNM 20932 Miller 1921 

7/1979 2 40 Notarbartolo Di Sciara9 

1975–1976 5 1 MCNUCV n/n / EBRG 17028 Castellanos & Casinos 1982, Bolaños Jiménez 1994 

10/1988 1 1 I. Agudo** 

1989 1 1 G. Sole* 

1987 2 1 L. Orive* 

1991 3 I. Agudo** 

3/1894 1 >1 Logbook of the schooner Golden City 

10/1988 1 1 I. Agudo** 

1991 3 1 I. Agudo** 

1989 1 2 R. Verginelli-Torres* 

1989 1 6 P. Blanco* 

7-8/1983 5 1 Rodríguez et al. 1993 + M Palacios * 

1/1979 4 1 MBLUZ-M-0001 Agudo et al. 1994 

1 1 Ernst 1891 

1 >1 Cervigón & Velásquez 1981 

10/1971 5 22 MDMBR n/n Casinos & Bou 1980; Bolaños Jiménez 1994 

1 >1 Anonymous10 

1965–1968 1 >1 Mondolfi 1981 

1993 5 4 MDMBR n/n Bolaños Jiménez 1994, Agudo & Romero 1996 

6/1990 1 –20 R. Verginelli* 

b. 1977 4 1 MEDIMAR Casinos 1981 

7/1993 5 1 MEDIMAR Agudo 1995 

10/1989 1 2 G. Solé* 

b. 1991 2,5 1 Agudo et al. 1994 

7 Boher, S., and H. García. 1990. Un varamiento de la Ballena Jorobada Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) en la costa continental venezolana (CETACEA, BALAENOPTERIDAE). Informe Técnico PROFAUNA-MARNR, Caracas, 11 p., unpubl. manuscr. 

8 Mondolfi, E., and R. Muller. 1979. Segundo Informe sobre los resultados obtenidos en las inspecciones realizadas en los canos del Golfo de Paria, el Delta del Orinoco, el 

Bajo Orinoco y el Bajo Apure. Caracas: Fudena, 77 p., unpubl. report. 

9 Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. 1979. Letter to Edgardo Mondolfi, 1 p. 

10 Anonymous. n/d. Los Recursos Pesqueros de la Región Nororiental de Venezuela. Estado de su explotación y posibilidades futuras. Margarita: EDIMAR, Fundación La Salle 

de Ciencias Naturales, 22 p., unpubl. manuscr. 

2) Simplicity; 

3) 	Concordance with systematic classification, i.e., “delfín,” “tonina,” and their derivatives, only for odontocetes; “ballena” for mysticetes; 

4) 	Retention of truly vernacular names, those widespread and widely used; 

5) 	Including descriptive attributes such as coloration 

or general shape; 

6) 	Avoiding names intended to honor people (e.g., 

“delfín de Risso” for Grampus griseus) if they lack descriptive value. 

Distribution and localities 

Global distribution information has been provided for 

reference purposes only. The records for Venezuelan 

distribution are compiled by species and geography 

(Table 2). For those species where the records indicate a 

recognizable geographic position (such as latitude and 

longitude and/or locality), a figure with a location map 

is included. Where we indicate “western,” “central,” or 

“eastern” parts or zones, our categories correspond to 

these locations: “western” is from Zulia through Falcon 

states, “central” is from Carabobo through Miranda 

states; and “eastern” is from Anzoategui through Delta 

Amacuro states (Fig. 1). 

In the sections on conservation status and in remarks 

for each species, Caribbean localities are given in clockwise order beginning with the Bahamas, followed by Cuba, and so on, ending with Belize (Fig. 2). 

Habitat and ecology 

Information on habitat and ecology is given only when 
22 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 1 

Map of Venezuela. Main localities cited in the text. 

it is potentially relevant to resolve questions of distribution or to discuss conservation issues. 

Threats 

Threats to each species are assessed by evidence of direct 

take (whaling, harpooning), incidental take (by-catches 

in nets), pollution, habitat destruction, fragmentation 

and other degradation, and of collecting for museums 

or aquaria. 

Conservation status 

We summarize in Table 3 the conservation status for 

each species according to the “Red List” of the IUCN’s 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and 

from the list of cetaceans in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).3 

We agree with Diamond (1988) that to list, for conservation purposes, only those species that are threatened 

3	 Updates of these compilations may be found at the WCMC Web site: 

http://www.wcmc.org.uk. 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 23 

Figure 2 

Map of the Caribbean region. Main localities cited in the text. 

is a strategic mistake because it may mislead people into believing that others may be safely captured. Such a 

misconception would apply particularly for Venezuela 

and other areas where our knowledge of population status of many cetacean species does not permit characterizing them as threatened, but it is extremely unlikely 

that they are abundant and not endangered (but see 

Anonymous4). Thus, we follow procedures established 

by Brownell et al. (1989) for cetacean listing conserva4	 Anonymous. 1977. H/SWRI Technical Report 77/104. December 

1977. Biological study of the Venezuelan jetfoil route from Puerto 

La Cruz to Porlamar: Final report. Boeing Aerospace Company. 

Purchase Contract U-963361-9120. Submitted by Hubbs-Sea World 

Research Institute, 1700 South Shore Rd., San Diego, California 

92109 (714-223-2693), 12 p. 

tion specifics by analyzing their status; recommending, 

where appropriate, that their endangered status be revised in the light of local threats; and summarizing conservation recommendations. 

Because of its implications for conservation, we report, 

when known, the method of capture. The number of individuals recorded as “stranded,” “netted,” or “harpooned” 

does not reflect the total number of strandings, accidental netting, or intentional catches for all the species since 

the method of capture was not recorded for many museum specimens. Some records labeled as “strandings” 

in the literature are for animals previously caught or injured by people (such as a collision with a ship), then later found stranded. In these cases, when known, we have 

used the event leading to stranding (Table 2). 
24 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 3 

Summary of the international conservation status and local threats for Venezuelan cetaceans. 

Species WCMC1 CITES2 Local threats 

B. borealis Endangered/A1abd I None known


B. edeni Data deficient/- I None known


B. physalus Endangered/A1abd I None known


M. novaeangliae Vulnerable/A1ad I Hunted until recently


P. macrocephalus Vulnerable/A1bd I Hunting occurred. None now


I. geoffrensis Vulnerable/A1cd II Hunting, live-collecting, habitat disruption, pollution


S. bredanensis Data deficient/- II None known


S. fluviatilis Data deficient/- I Habitat fragmentation, pollution, hunting


G. griseus Data deficient/- II None known


T. truncatus Data deficient/- II Hunting


S. frontalis Data deficient/- II Gill nets


S. attenuata Lower risk: conservation dependant/- II Fisheries


S. longirostris Lower risk: conservation dependant/- II Gill nets, firearms


S. clymene Data deficient/- II Gill nets


S. coeruleoalba Lower risk: conservation dependant/- II None known


D. capensis II3 Hunting


F. attenuata Data deficient/- II None known


P. crassidens II None known


O. orca Lower risk: conservation dependant/- II None known


G. macrorhynchus Lower risk: conservation dependant/- II None known


Z. cavirostris Data deficient/- II None known. Reports of possible effects from military exercises


1 From the “Red List” of the IUCN’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre.


2 From the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.


3 Originally “Delphinus delphis.” 

Remarks 

In this section we summarize the Caribbean distribution, interpret the records and, when appropriate, offer 

historical notes. 

Bibliographic treatment 

When there are multiple literature citations in the text, 

they are in chronological order. Citations for authors 

of taxa are not included but can be found in Allen 

(1881), Simpson (1945), Hershkovitz (1966), and Truitt 

(1974). 

Quantitative analysis 

All procedures were performed using Systat (version 

7.01) for WindowsTM (Wilkinson and Hill, 1994). 

Results 

Systematic list 

Order CETACEA Brisson, 1762


Suborder MYSTICETI Flower, 1864


Family BALAENOPTERIDAE Gray, 1864


Subfamily BALAENOPTERINAE (Gray, 1864) 


Brandt, 1872 

Genus Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 

Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828, sei whale 

Spanish common names Ballena, ballena boba, ballena negra, ballena sardinera, ballena sei, ballenato, rorcual, rorcual boreal, rorcual del norte, rorcual negro, 

rorcual norteño. 

Proposed Spanish common name Casinos (1986) 

called it “Rorqual norteño o de Rudolphi.” Vidal 

(1990) used “ballena sei.” We recommend “rorqual sei” 

to help distinguish members of this genus from other 

mysticetes. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan and pelagic. Mostly temperate and oceanic (Gambell, 1985a). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Eastern Venezuela (Table 

2; Fig. 3). 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 25 

Figure 3 

Balaenoptera borealis occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Threats None known for this species in Venezuela. 

Conservation status and recommendations This 

species is classified as “Endangered” by the WCMC and 

listed in Appendix I of CITES (1992). There are only 

three records for Venezuela, all sightings or taggings 

from locales where mysticetes are most abundant (Table 

2). There are few records for this species in the Caribbean, where it is considered rare (Notarbartolo di Sciara, 1983). Leatherwood and Reeves (1983) have even 

questioned its presence in the Caribbean Sea. There 

are pelagic (“at sea”) records (Slijper et al., 1964; Erdman, 1970; Erdman et al., 1973) as well as coastal ones 

from Cuba (Varona, 1965, 1974), the Dominican Republic (Mead, 1977; Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), and 

the British Virgin Islands (Erdman, 1970). There are 

only four reliable records for the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). Of all these Caribbean records, 

only Mead’s (1977) can be considered fully reliable. 

These records reflect the worldwide distribution of 

this species and, thus, it must be considered as an occasional visitor rather than a resident of Venezuelan waters. Sei whales were heavily hunted in the past and 

although there are no precise figures, the general consensus is that the global population is low. Venezuelan 

coasts are heavily influenced by both South and North 

Equatorial currents. Mitchell and Chapman (1977) believe that the B. borealis they observed in northern Venezuela were migrating whales from southern hemisphere 

stock during the austral winter. The dates of observations in Venezuela (February, July, and September) do 

not allow us to conclude whether the records are better 

interpreted as animals from the northern or southern 

stocks. 

Systematic long-term studies are necessary to ascertain the basic natural history and population size and 

dynamics of all the cetaceans, but they are especially 

needed for species like this, whose presence seems occasional at best. 

Remarks This species is easily confused with B. edeni, thus yielding fewer confirmed records than might 

otherwise be the case. 

Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1878, Bryde’s whale 

Spanish common names Ballena, ballena arenquera, ballena caribeña, ballena de arenque, ballena de 

Bryde, ballena tricrestada, ballena tropical, ballenato, 

ballenato rorcual, rorcual, rorcual caribeño, rorcual de 

Bryde, rorcual tropical. 

Proposed Spanish common name Casinos (1986) 

used the names “rorcual tropical o de Bryde.” Vidal 
26 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 4 

Balaenoptera edeni occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

(1990) used “ballena de Bryde.” We therefore propose 

“rorcual de Bryde” while recognizing it violates our 

principle by using an honorific rather than a descriptive name. Our justification for this departure is that 

“rorcual” is widely used for the genus Balaenoptera and 

“Bryde” is an almost universal denomination. No other 

common name has ever been widely used except those 

so general that they may be confused with names of other balaenopterids. 

Global distribution Tropical and subtropical waters 

of the world. Pelagic and coastal. Long migrations are 

not typical (Cummings, 1985). 

Occurrence in Venezuela This is by far the most 

common mysticete in Venezuela. Virtually all the records, however, are only from the eastern part of the 

country (Table 2; Fig. 4). 

Unconfirmed records Ernst (1886) claims to have 

seen a “B. rostrata” between the islands of La Tortuga and 

Margarita in 1873, but we suggest it was probably B. edeni. 

Threats None known in Venezuela. 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix I of CITES. Because this species seems not to 

have been heavily hunted anywhere, and certainly not 

in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, the population may be stable. Of the 23 records for Venezuela, 

none is associated with captures of any type. This species 

is not known for long migrations (Cummings, 1985) 

and records are concentrated between Puerto La Cruz, 

the Cumaná area, and Margarita Island. Combined with 

the relatively uniform distribution of records throughout the year (Table 2), this may indicate that there is a 

resident population in the area. 

The species has been recorded for St. Croix (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), Grenada (Soot-Ryen, 1961), 

Curaçao (Soot-Ryen, 1961; Debrot, 1998; Debrot et al., 

1998), Aruba (Agudo and Ponson, 1996), and the Colombian Caribbean (Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Prieto Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990). It is not uncommon in the Gulf 

of Mexico (Mead, 1977; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Evans et al. (1979) note that local fishermen associate the presence of these whales with the abundance 

of bait fish, particularly sardines (Sardinella anchovia), 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 27 

Figure 5 

Balaenoptera physalus occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

and they suggest that many of the whales appear in the 

late spring and early summer, feed in the area for several months, and then depart to equatorial waters in the 

winter with a few remaining year-round. Group size varies with season; 55% are seen as single, 27% as pairs, 

and 18% in groups of three or more (Hoyt, 1984). We 

found that 78% of the sightings were of a single individual. Groups of up to eight individuals have been seen 

feeding on different species of fish, e.g., the Atlantic 

saury (billfish) (Scomberesox saurus) (Notarbartolo di Sciara, 1983; Anonymous4). 

Remarks Our record #8 (Table 2) corresponds to 

a Bryde’s whale being killed by a swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Cetacean mortality from swordfish is rare, but not 

unknown (Jonsgård, 1959). 

Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758), fin whale 

Spanish common names Ballena, ballena boba, 

ballena de aleta, ballenato, rorcual, rorcual común. 

Proposed Spanish common name Vidal (1990) 

called it “ballena de aleta,” a direct translation from 

English. Casinos (1986) employs “rorcual común” and 

we concur with that choice, a name consistent with 

those we propose for other members of this genus. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan, mostly pelagic. 

Wintering areas extend from the ice edge southwards to 

the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It exhibits seasonal migrations (Gambell, 1985b). 

Occurrence in Venezuela One record for the western part and two for the eastern part (Table 2; Fig. 5). 

Threats None known in Venezuela. 

Conservation status and recommendations This 

species is classified as “Endangered” by the WCMC and 

listed in Appendix I of CITES. The few records for the Caribbean are “at sea” (Slijper et al., 1964) and for Colombia (Prieto Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990) and the Gulf of 

Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). It is not clear whether sightings in the area correspond to part of their normal 

migratory patterns or to stray individuals, but they must in 

any case be considered very rare in the Caribbean. 

Subfamily MEGAPTERINAE Gray, 1866


Genus Megaptera Gray, 1846


Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781), 


humpback whale 

Spanish common names Ballena cantora, ballena 

corcovada, ballena de aleta grande, ballena jorobada, ballenato, guabarte, jorobada, rorcual jorobado, yubarta. 

Proposed Spanish common name Although “yubarta” is occasionally used (Casinos, 1986), “ballena jorobada” is by far the most widely used common name in 

Spanish, particularly in Latin America. 
28 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 6 

Megaptera novaeangliae occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan. Mostly coastal 

with strong seasonal migrations (Winn and Reichley, 

1985). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Four records report only 

“Venezuela,” but all the others note locales in the central and eastern zones, two in the central coasts, five in 

the eastern part of the country, and one for Isla de Aves 

(a Venezuelan island in the northeastern Caribbean) 

(Table 2; Fig. 6). 

Threats This species was hunted in and near Venezuelan waters as early as the the 19th century, as evidenced by records for 1853 and 1871. Logbooks from 

whaling ships show that some humpback whales were 

captured in the eastern waters of Venezuela, particularly between January and March (Townsend, 1935). In 

early 1960 there was a stranding at Carenero-Buche of 

an individual with three embedded harpoons of Japanese origin (Romero and Agudo, 1993). In 1977 another was found that had been struck by hydrofoils elsewhere, perhaps the cause of its death (Hudnall, 1978). 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Vulnerable” by the WCMC and listed in 

Appendix I of CITES. There are about 10,000 individuals in the northern North Atlantic, its highest population level anywhere (Smith et al., 1999). It is reported as formerly abundant between Trinidad and 

northeastern Venezuela during winter (Mitchell and 

Reeves, 1983). It has coastal feeding and breeding 

grounds in the eastern Caribbean (Winn et al., 1975; 

Winn and Reichley, 1985) and has also been recorded 

for Cuba (Cuní, 1918; Varona, 1974), the Dominican 

Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), Puerto Rico 

(summarized in Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Barbuda 

(Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Antigua (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 1971a), Bequia (Lindeman, 1880; Clark, 1887; Brown, 1945 [cited 

in Caldwell et al.1971a]; Fenger, 1958; Mitchell, 1965; 

Adams, 1971; Caldwell et al., 1971a; Price, 1985), between Banaire and Klein Bonaire and in Bonaire (Debrot et al., 1998), Curaçao (Debrot, 1998), and Colom-
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 29 

Figure 7 

Physeter macrocephalus occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

bia (Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Vidal, 1990). There are 

nine confirmed records for the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). The Venezuelan records are 

widely dispersed in time, not allowing us to infer its seasonal movements in these waters. 

Suborder ODONTOCETI Flower, 1867 

Superfamily PHYSETEROIDEA (Gray, 1821) Gill, 

1872 

Family PHYSETERIDAE Gray, 1821 

Subfamily PHYSETERINAE (Gray, 1821) Flower, 

1867 

Genus Physeter Linnaeus, 1758 

Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758, 

sperm whale 

Taxonomic status There is still some controversy on 

whether P. macrocephalus has precedence over P. catodon 

(Husson and Holthuis, 1974; Schevill, 1986; Holthuis, 

1987). We concur with Rice’s (1989) interpretation of 

the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature 

that P. macrocephalus should be the correct name. 

Spanish common names Ballena de esperma, ballena de espuma, ballena dentada gigante, *ballenato, 

*cachalote, *chacalote, *fiseter, guapo. 

Proposed Spanish name “Cachalote” since it is, by 

far, the most commonly used name in Spanish. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan. Mostly mesopelagic and deep seas (Rice, 1989). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Twelve records, mostly 

from eastern Venezuela (Table 2; Fig. 7). 

Unconfirmed record Ernst (1886) may have seen a 

P. macrocephalus off the coast of Carúpano (Sucre State). 

Threats Although harpooning has occurred recently in the Lesser Antilles (Rathjen and Sullivan, 1970), no 

threats are presently known in Venezuela. It has been 

hunted in Venezuelan waters (Romero et al., 1997b) 

and there is a report of a hunting ground in the Los 

Frailes-La Sola-Los Testigos area as late as 1967 (Vila, 

1967). 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Vulnerable” by the WCMC and listed in 

Appendix I of CITES. It is found over deep oceanic 
30 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

waters and along continental slopes, and is the second 

most common and widely distributed large cetacean in 

the world (after O. orca) (Rice, 1989). Although its distribution is worldwide, some populations may be 

isolated. It is fairly common in the deeper basins of 

the Caribbean. It has also been reported for Cuba 

(de la Torre, 1907; Cuní, 1918; Scaramuzza, 1943; 

Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 1974; Jefferson and Lynn, 

1994), Haiti (Gosse, 1851), the Dominican Republic 

(Erdman et al., 1973; Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994; 

Gricks, 1994), Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Erdman, 1970; Erdman et al., 1973; Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), Anguilla (Gricks, 1994), St. Barthelemy (Gricks, 

1994), Barbuda (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Antigua 

(Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Montserrat (Gricks, 1994), 

Dominica (Watkins et al., 1993; Gricks, 1994), Martinique (Watkins and Moore, 1982), St. Lucia (Watkins 

and Moore, 1982), St. Vincent (Townsend, 1935; Rathjen 

and Sullivan, 1970; Wood et al., 1970; Caldwell et al., 

1971a; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975; Watkins and Moore, 

1982), Bequia (Brown, 1945 [cited in Caldwell et al., 

1971a]; Fenger, 1958; Watkins and Moore, 1982), Barbados (Townsend, 1935; Brown, 1942 [cited in Caldwell 

et al., 1971a]), Curaçao (van Bree, 1975; Debrot et al., 

1998), Colombia-Panama (Palacios et al., 1996), and 

the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 1994c; Jefferson and 

Schiro, 1997). 

In the first published report of a cetacean stranding 

in Venezuela, Codazzi (1841) noted that sometimes 

sperm whales could be seen in large groups. It may have 

been hunted as early as the 18th century off Venezuelan coasts (Townsend, 1935). Despite being oceanic and 

having been heavily hunted until recently, its presence 

in Venezuela is common, but largely limited to the deep 

waters north of the continental shelf. Although our records report its presence only in summer, it’s probable 

that at least males have extensive north-south seasonal 

movements. 

Superfamily PLATANISTOIDEA (Gray, 1863) 

Simpson, 1945 

Family INIIDAE Flower, 1867 

Genus Inia d’Orbigny, 1834 

Inia geoffrensis (de Blainville, 1817), boto 

Taxonomic status The specific and infraspecific taxonomic nomenclature of Inia has yet to be fully resolved, with discussion continuing whether all Inia populations are a single species. Some authors divide Inia 

into three subspecies depending on geographical distribution: I. g. geoffrensis (de Blainville, 1817) for the 

Amazon, except the upper Madeira river drainage, I. g. 

humboldtiana (Pilleri and Gihr, 1977) for the Orinoco 

drainage basin, and I. g. boliviensis (d’Orbigny, 1834) for 

the Beni basin (the Madeira River drainage above the 

Teotonio Rapids) (see Best and da Silva, 1989b). According to Pilleri and Gihr (1977, 1980), the Beni population is a different species, I. boliviensis (d’Orbigny, 

1834) (but see Casinos and Ocaña, 1979). There is 

some controversy on whether I. boliviensis is a synonym 

of I. geoffrensis (van Bree and Robineau, 1973; Mead and 

Brownell, 1993). We view it as a single species with three 

subspecies or differentiated populations (Best and da 

Silva, 1989a,b; Anderson, 1997). 

If Pilleri and Pilleri (1982) are correct in their suggestion that I. geoffrensis of the upper Orinoco and Brazo 

Casiquiare is I. geoffrensis geoffrensis, then this subspecies 

is also in Venezuela. 

Spanish common names Boto, *bufeo, bufeo colorado, *bufete, buto, delfín amazónico, delfín de agua 

dulce, delfín de río, *delfín llanero, delfín rosado, delfín 

rosado del Amazonas, fansa, tonina, tonina de agua 

dulce, *tonina de río, *tonina del Orinoco, toñina. 

Indigenous names in Venezuela Katsali (in the Macusi language), muna (in the Cabre and Maypure languages), orinucna and orinocona (in the Tamanaca language), yufa (in the Guama language), urinugna (in 

Guayana and Tamanaca languages). 

Proposed Spanish common name Each country 

where this species is present has several local vernacular names. Some of those names are the same for the 

partially sympatric Sotalia fluviatilis. The name “delfín” 

is too generic; “boto” is peculiar to Brazil, and “bufeo” 

and “bufeo colorado” to Colombia; “bufeo” has been 

widely used for S. fluviatilis. Of all the names used so far, 

the most distinct would be “tonina de río” because tonina was the first name given by the Spaniards (Romero 

et al., 1997a) and is still very widely used, and we differentiate it from Sotalia, which can be found in marine 

environments as well. 

Global distribution Orinoco, Amazon, and Beni watersheds. In all freshwater habitat types in the Orinoco 

and the Amazon basins, except estuaries, extreme rapids, and waterfalls (Best and da Silva, 1989a). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Widely distributed in the 

Orinoco watershed, including the Casiquiare and the 

Río Negro. There is no geographical or ecological barrier between the populations of the Orinoco and the 

Amazon drainages (Wallace, 1889; Handley, 1976; Pilleri and Pilleri, 1982; Pilleri et al., 1982; Best and da 

Silva, 1989a,b; Meade and Koehnken, 1991; Romero et 

al., 1997a) (Table 2; Fig. 8). 

Habitat and ecology It is a generalist fish feeder 

seen most frequently at the junctions of rivers and tributaries (Klinowska, 1991; Meade and Koehnken, 1991; 

McGuire and Winemiller, 1998), consistent with observations in the Amazon basin (Magnusson et al., 1980). 

They are most abundant in whitewater rivers draining 

the Venezuelan llanos (savannas), at intermediate levels in clearwater rivers draining the upland shield areas, and least abundant in blackwater-clearwater rivers 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 31 

Figure 8 

Inia geoffrensis occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

draining lowland shield areas (Meade and Koehnken, 

1991). It was reported that a lower jaw of I. geoffrensis 

was found on Margarita Island (Trebbau and van Bree, 

1974). It probably represents the remains of an individual washed out from the Orinoco delta or it may 

have been left behind by a Margarita Island fisherman’s 

by-catch taken from the Orinoco delta. 

According to Meade and Koehnken (1991), it can be 

found in the Orinoco drainage either as solitary individuals (32% of the observations) or in groups of two 

to six. McGuire and Winemiller (1998) found a mean 

number of dolphins per sighting of two, with a range 

between one and eight animals. Combining this information with records from the Apure River (Schnapp 

and Howroyd, 1990, 1992), 42% of observations were of 

solitary individuals. In the Amazon, however, most sightings (81%) were of solitary individuals (Magnusson et 

al., 1980). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Vulnerable” 

by the WCMC and listed in Appendix II of CITES. 
32 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Threats As described below, the species has been 

threatened by captures, habitat destruction, deforestation, pollution, and live-captures. 

Captures The Tamanaco Indians, the original inhabitants of the Orinoco watershed, captured it for human consumption (Gilij, 1782) and it has been widely 

used by Venezuelan fishermen since the 19th Century or 

earlier. Botos were also hunted by the Mapoyos (Chaffanjon, 1889) and Ernst (1884) mentions tympanic bullae 

of this species—bones measuring only ca. 4 cm × 6 cm × 

8 cm (Kasuya, 1973)—as being among the “commercial 

products” at the 1883 Venezuelan National Exposition. 

Harpooning may occur, but seems to be rare. Harpoons 

employed in hunting dolphins on the eastern Venezuelan coast are manufactured in Puerto Ayacucho on the 

upper Orinoco River (Romero and Agudo, 1993), so 

the weaponry is available inland as well. Trebbau (1975) 

mentions the use of harpoons and nets in capturing Inia. He says that “Apure fishermen do not have many superstitions regarding dolphins (although the blubber is 

said to be an excellent remedy for asthma), and it was 

consequently easy to hire fishermen for aid [sic] in capture.” We have also heard of reports of this species being captured for local consumption in Portuguesa State 

(Romero et al., 1997b). These dolphins are occasionally 

captured in nets as by-catches and usually released, but 

sometimes they become entangled and die. 

Habitat disruption The Guárico River Dam is responsible for eliminating its upstream population (Pilleri, 

1979). Upstream effects by dams may be due to the resulting isolation of freshwater dolphin populations, thus 

increasing many risks associated with fragmenting threatened populations and their habitats (e.g., Green and 

Minkowski, 1977), including reduction in genetic variability (Klinowska, 1991). The Guri Dam on the Caroní River, 

a tributary of the Orinoco, has caused apparent depletion 

of this species in the lower reaches (Perrin and Brownell, 

1989). Such downstream effects may be a product of reduction in the freshwater flow coming out of dams. This 

creates increases in salinity, causing declines in migratory 

fish, a critical food supply for the Inia (Reeves and Leatherwood, 1994; for ecological imbalances at Guri, see Weibezahn, 1994). More river modifications are planned in 

the near future for the Orinoco, Apure, and Meta rivers 

(Reeves and Leatherwood, 1994). 

Deforestation Soil erosion consequent to deforestation increases turbidity and may produce silting, thus 

directly and indirectly altering the floral and faunal 

composition of rivers. In addition, some fish that constitute the main diet of river dolphins rely on fallen seeds 

and fruits from trees whose bases are inundated when 

the river floods every year (Vidal, 1993). If these trees 

perish or are removed, an important link in the food 

chain is destroyed. The rate of deforestation in Venezuela is high (Romero, 1992a). 

Pollution Pesticides have been found in the milk 

of Orinoco River dolphins (Gewalt, 1978). High levels 

of mercury have been found in fish in the Orinoco 

basin as a consequence of gold-mining activities (Nico 

and Taphorn, 1994). During March and April of 1995, 

the Venezuelan press reported the death of numerous 

fish and Inia at Caño Cunavichito of the Apure watershed (Rizk, 1995). There was speculation that the massive die-off was a consequence of chemical pollution. 

Water pollution at high levels is widespread in Venezuela (Romero, 1992a). 

Live-captures Collections have been made for many 

aquarium exhibits, e.g., Sea World Aquarium at San Diego, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the Duisburg Zoo 

in Germany, and the Acuario J. V. Seijas of Valencia, 

Venezuela (Trebbau, 1975; Ostenrath, 1976; Pilleri et 

al., 1979; Brownell, 1984; Collet, 1984; Sylvestre, 1985), 

including the only albino cetacean reported for Venezuela (Gewalt, 1978). In general, they fare poorly in 

captivity (Caldwell et al., 1989). The only place in Venezuela where this species has been kept for long periods 

of time is the Acuario J. V. Seijas of Valencia, Carabobo 

State, which captured 10 individuals between 1975 and 

1986 of which eight died (Boede Wantzelius, 1990). Ingestion of foreign objects thrown by visitors is implicated as the cause of death, but an inadequate diet 

may have contributed to this high mortality rate. Only 

one birth has been registered there. At least one Inia 

was kept in Moron, Carabobo State, for a limited time 

(Trebbau, 1975). The report of one in El Pinar Zoo 

(Pilleri and Gihr, 1977) is erroneous. A request to the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to permit importation for 

the Dallas Aquarium in 1998 was withdrawn due to lack 

of population studies and serious questions concerning 

the capture, handling, maintenance, and transport of 

these dolphins in Venezuela. 

Remarks Several naturalists encountered this species in Venezuela before it was described by de Blainville in 1817. In the diaries of an expedition to the Santo Domingo, Apure, and Orinoco rivers in 1647, Fray 

Jacinto de Carvajal (de Carvajal, 1648) mentions this 

species, using vernacular names. He notes “tonina” and 

“bufeo” in groups in the Apure and Orinoco rivers. 

Pehr Löfling traveled the Orinoco in 1754 and 1755 

and then wrote the (still unpublished) manuscript Ycthiologia Orinocensis sive Cathalogus Piscium sui in hoc Fluvio piscantur. An examination of the manuscript (Romero et al., 1997a) reveals a very detailed description of 

what we know today as I. geoffrensis, including two drawings that leave no doubt that he encountered Inia. 

Shortly after Löfling, a third early naturalist, Filippo 

Salvatore Gilij, traveled the Orinoco. His description, 

based on encounters between 1757 and 1766, is as follows: “It is not an amphibian and it is very different 

from the manatee. The Spaniards call this animal the 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 33 

Orinoco tonina. But do not mistake the Orinocoan tonina for our tuna by confusing it with the Italian name 

of tonno. I have seen it many times, but never in its entirety. It can be seen only during quiet and calm weather, and then, when happy and partying, the upper half 

of its body gets out of the water, the other half remaining sunk. It resembles a sea cow. Since I have never seen 

it closely, I can not give further detailed information. 

From what I have heard, it is good to eat; its taste is not 

that different from manatee. Only the guamos, perhaps 

because manatee is not available, eat its meat” (Gilij, 

1780; Paolillo and Romero, 1989). 

Alexander von Humboldt is the fourth naturalist who 

mentions this species for Venezuela, based on his travels in the Orinoco and Apure rivers in 1800. On 28 

March, while at San Fernando, he wrote: “It is a very 

extraordinary phenomenon to see cetacea at such distance from the coast. The Spaniards of the Missions designate them, as they do the porpoises of the ocean, by 

the name of toninas. The Tamanacs call this species orinucnas. They are three or four feet long; and bending 

their back, and pressing with their tail on the inferior 

strata of the water, they expose to view a part of the 

back and of the dorsal fin. I did not succeed in obtaining any, though I often engage Indians to shoot at them 

with their arrows. Father Gilij asserts that the Guamos 

eat their flesh. Are these cetacea peculiar to the great 

rivers of South America, like the manati, which, according to Cuvier, is also a fresh water cetaceous animal? Or 

must we admit that they go up from the sea against the 

current, as the beluga sometimes does in the rivers of 

Asia? What would lead me to doubt this last supposition 

is that we saw toninas above the great cataracts of the 

Orinoco, in the Rio Atabapo. Did they penetrate into 

the centre of equinoctial America from the mouth of 

the Amazon, by communication of that river with the 

Rio Negro, the Casiquiare, and the Orinoco? They are 

found here at all seasons, and nothing seems to denote 

that they make periodical migrations like salmon” (von 

Humboldt, 1814). Later in his narratives, while traveling 

along the Upper Orinoco, von Humboldt writes: “In the 

thickiest [sic] part of the forest we were astonished by an 

extraordinary noise. On beating the bushes, a shoal of 

toninas (fresh-water dolphins) four feet long, surrounded our boat. These animals had concealed themselves 

beneath the branches of a fromager, or Bombax ceiba. 

They fled across the forest, throwing out those spouts 

of compressed air and water which have given them in 

every language the name of ‘blowers.’ How singular was 

this spectacle in an inland spot, three or four hundred 

leagues from the mouths of the Orinoco and the Amazon! I am aware that the pleronectes (dabs) of the Atlantic go up the Loire as far as Orleans; but I am, nevertheless, of opinion that the dolphins of the Temi, like 

those of the Ganges, and the skate (raia) of the Orinoco, are of a species essentially different from the dolphins and skates of the ocean” (von Humboldt, 1814). 

Hershkovitz (1963) contends that von Humboldt saw 

Sotalia fluviatilis instead of I. geoffrensis because “The 

comparatively small size and notably developed dorsal 

fins of the dolphins described by von Humboldt are 

characteristic of the genus Sotalia. That von Humboldt 

may have observed Inia as well is probable but not evident from his journal.” Hershkovitz may be correct for 

dolphins observed by von Humboldt in the Manzanares 

River (see Discussion section), but we disagree with his 

conclusion regarding the dolphins seen in the Apure 

and the Orinoco rivers. Inia’s dorsal fin (rather a ridge) 

is not as well developed as Sotalia’s, but in both species 

it is clearly visible every time an animal surfaces. There 

is no passage in von Humboldt’s descriptions of his observations in these rivers that is consistent with Hershkovitz’s characterization of “notably developed dorsal 

fins.” Furthermore, von Humboldt’s (1814) observations were in the Apure River at San Fernando, i.e., the 

area with the most records of Inia, and where Sotalia has 

never otherwise been recorded by an experienced observer. Thus, we presume that the dolphins seen by von 

Humboldt at the Apure and Orinoco rivers were Inia 

and not Sotalia. 

Superfamily DELPHINOIDEA (Gray, 1821) Flower, 

1864 

Family DELPHINIDAE Gray, 1821 

Subfamily STENINAE (Fraser and Purves, 1960) 

Mead, 1975 

Genus Steno Gray, 1846 

Steno bredanensis (G. Cuvier in Lesson, 1828), 

rough-toothed dolphin 

Spanish common names Delfín bastardo, delfín de 

dientes ásperos, delfín de dientes rugosos, delfín de hocico estrecho, delfín de pico largo, esteno, tonina. 

Proposed Spanish common name Casinos (1986) 

and Vidal (1990) use the name “delfín de dientes rugosos.” We propose keeping that descriptive name. 

Global distribution Tropical and warm-temperate 

seas of the world; mostly pelagic (Miyazaki and Perrin, 

1994). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Only one in the eastern 

part of the country (Table 2; Fig. 9). 

Threats There are no known threats in Venezuela. 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is 

in Appendix II of CITES. As is the case with most 

oceanic species of delphinoids, the distribution of this 

deep diver is poorly known. It is uncommon in the 

Caribbean. It has been recorded for Cuba (True, 

1889; León and Aguayo, 1945; Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 

1974; Gricks, 1994), Haiti (Bonnelly de Calventi, 

1994), Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Barba-
34 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 9 

Steno bredanensis, Grampus griseus, and Feresa attenuata occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

dos (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. Vincent (Caldwell 

et al., 1971a; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975; Gricks, 1994), 

the Grenadines (Gricks, 1994), and Colombia (Prieto 

Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990), with a mass stranding 

in Belize (Perkins and Miller, 1983). There are 21 verifiable records for the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 

1994c; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). It is likely to occur 

in most, if not all, tropical and subtropical waters (Miyazaki and Perrin, 1994). Ernst (1891) was the first to 

record this species for Venezuela under the then commonly used name of Steno rostratus. 

Genus Sotalia Gray, 1866


Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais and Deville, 1853), tucuxi


Taxonomic status Originally, under what is today 

the genus Sotalia, up to five different species were described: S. brasiliensis van Bénéden, 1875 (coastal waters of eastern South America), S. fluviatilis (Gervais, 

1853) (in the Amazon River and tributaries and in the 

Tocantins River), S. guianensis (van Bénéden, 1864) 

(coastal waters of the Guayanas and adjacent areas), 

S. pallida (Gervais, 1855) (in the Amazon River, its 

tributaries, and Tocantins River), and, S. tucuxi (Gray, 

1856) (Amazon River, its tributaries, and Tocantins 

River). There are three proposed arrangements for 

this genus: 

1) 	The genus should be divided into two species: S. fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853) for the river forms (i.e., S. fluviatilis, S. pallida, and S. tucuxi) and S. guianensis (van 

Bénéden, 1864) for the coastal form (i.e., S. guianensis and S. brasiliensis) (Rice, 1977; Borobia et al., 

1991). 

2) 	The genus is monospecific (S. fluviatilis) with two 

subspecies, S. fluviatilis fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853) 

for the river form and S. fluviatilis guianensis (van 

Bénéden, 1864) for the marine coastal one. 

3) 	It is monospecific but with two distinct populations 

or stocks (river and marine) that are not differentiated at the subspecific level. The last arrangement is most accepted today (for discussion see da 

Silva and Best, 1994), and we adopt this conservative 

approach, using S. fluviatilis as the name for both 

marine and river Venezuelan populations. 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 35 

Figure 10 

Sotalia fluviatilis occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

We agree with van Bree (1974) that, contrary to Hershkovitz (1963), Gervais is the only author and the 1853 

description is valid. This species therefore must be cited 

as Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853). 

Spanish common names Bufeo gris, bufeo loquillo, 

bufeo negro, *bufete (middle Orinoco), bufo blanco, 

bufo negro, *bufón (Lake Maracaibo), cuchuska, *delfín 

blanco (Orinoco delta and nearby creeks), delfín deltáico, delfín de estuario amazónico, delfín de estuario americano, delfín de Guayana, delfín de río, delfín del Amazonas, delfín del Lago de Maracaibo, *tonina de río, tucuxi. 

Proposed Spanish name Although this species presents problems similar to those outlined for I. geoffrensis, 

“bufeo” seems to be a sufficiently distinctive and broadly used name to stand as the Spanish common name. 

Global distribution Marine form: western Central 

and South American coasts from Nicaragua (14°35′31′′N, 

83°14′54′′W) (Carr and Bonde, 2000) to the Florianópolis region (27°35′S, 48°34′W), Santa Catarina State, Brazil (da Silva and Best, 1994). The only island record is 

from Trinidad (van Bree, 1975). Freshwater form: Orinoco and Amazon watersheds (Borobia et al., 1991). 

Occurrence in Venezuela The marine form occurs 

mostly in western Venezuela while the river form occurs 

mostly in the Orinoco delta (Table 2), making them allopatric in Venezuela (Fig. 10). 

Doubtful records BOLIVAR: 130 km from the mouth 

of the Orinoco River (Hershkovitz, 1963). APURE: San 

Fernando de Apure and Río Atabapo (Hershkovitz, 

1963, 1966, based on his interpretation of von Hum-
36 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

boldt’s narrations). AMAZONAS: Brazo of Canal del 

Casiquiare (Borobia, 1990), Baría and Pasimoni rivers, 

tributaries of the Casiquiare River (Pilleri, 1979). Confluence of the Padamo and Mavaca rivers at the Orinoco, Upper Orinoco, Amazonas State, Caura and upper 

parts of the Orinoco (Trebbau and van Bree, 1974, no 

evidence). 

Habitat and ecology It is usually found in groups 

of two to five (Meade and Koehnken, 1991). Turbidity 

and pH do not seem to affect the distribution of the 

river form, but rapids do. They prefer deep fresh waters 

(Meade and Koehnken, 1991) and do not enter flooded areas (da Silva and Best, 1994). The marine form 

prefers shallow waters (Leatherwood et al., 1976; Borobia et al., 1991; da Silva and Best, 1994). 

Threats The records suggest a discontinuous distribution along Venezuelan coasts, with one group in 

Lake Maracaibo and another in the Paria/Orinoco Delta region. Its distribution along the Orinoco River may 

not be discontinuous. Given the high level of pollution 

along the Venezuelan coasts (Romero, 1992a), and the 

fact that most Venezuelan coasts are deep (Romero, 

1990), i.e., not ideal habitat for this species, we believe 

that S. fluviatilis is not only rare, but is possibly endangered. In 1974, van Bree (1974) did not see them in 

the Orinoco. Northridge (1984) reported that they are 

taken by gill nets at river mouths. Agudo et al. (1994) 

reported accidental netting in Lake Maracaibo. This 

species has been reported from four nominally protected areas in Venezuela, namely Ciénagas del Catatumbo National Park, Mariusas National Park (Delta 

Amacuro State), Turuépano National Park, and the Alto Orinoco-Casiquiare biosphere reserve. These areas 

lack active management and law enforcement, however, 

and therefore may be considered “paper parks” (Romero, 1992a,b). 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix I of CITES. 

Remarks Von Humboldt (1814) may have been the 

first to note this species for Venezuela, well before its 

scientific naming by Gervais in 1853. Referring to people who bathe at the Manzanares River, von Humboldt 

states that “The company were under no apprehensions 

from the babas, or small crocodiles, which are now extremely scarce, and which approach men without attacking them. These animals are three or four feet long. 

We never met with them in the Manzanares, but with a 

great number of dolphins (toninas), which sometimes 

ascend the river in the night, and frighten the bathers 

by spouting water” (von Humboldt, 1814). This observation of dolphins swimming upstream, taken together 

with an earlier section of this passage referring to the 

area as an estuary, makes it likely that he encountered 

Sotalia. 

Subfamily DELPHININAE (Gray, 1821) Flower, 1867


Genus Grampus Gray, 1828 


Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812), Risso’s dolphin


Spanish common names calderón gris, delfín de 

Risso, delfín gris, fabo calderón. 

Proposed Spanish common name Although Vidal 

(1990) used “delfín de Risso,” we concur with Casinos 

(1986) in using the most descriptive name of “calderón 

gris.” 

Global distribution Pan-globally in tropical and temperate seas, generally over waters deeper than 1,000 m 

(Klinowska, 1991; Kruse et al., 1999). 

Occurrence in Venezuela The only two records are 

from La Blanquilla island off the central coasts of Venezuela (Table 2; Fig. 9). 

Threats It has accidentally been captured with seine 

nets (Romero et al., 1997b). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks There are few records from the Caribbean and it does not seem to be a very common cetacean 

for the area. It has been reported for Cuba (Cuní, 1918; 

Varona, 1974), Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), 

St. Croix (Erdman, 1970), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 

1971a; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975; Gricks, 1994), the 

Grenadines (Gricks, 1994), Aruba (Agudo and Ponson, 

1996), and Colombia (Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Prieto 

Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990). Romero et al. (1991) 

first recorded this species for Venezuela. It is very common, however, in the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 

1994c; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). Given its distinctive 

appearance, we believe that the difference in number 

of records between the Caribbean and the Gulf represents a real, but puzzling, difference in abundance. 

Genus Tursiops Gervais, 1855 


Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), bottlenose 


dolphin 

Spanish common names Bufeo, delfín mular, delfín 

naríz de botella, delfín negro, delfín pico de botella, 

*guamachín (Sucre and other northeastern States), mular, *negro (Sucre), pez mular, tursión, tonina, tonino 

(Sucre State). 

Proposed Spanish common name Casinos (1986) 

called it “mular,” a common name in Spain but foreign for 

Latin America. Vidal (1990) called it “tonina.” Many Venezuelan fishermen call it “guamachín,” a name restricted 

in usage to the eastern part of Venezuela. We propose the 

use of “tursión,” a name clearly distinct from others. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan except for polar 

regions; common throughout continental shelves; mostly coastal (Klinowska, 1991; Wells and Scott, 1999). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Throughout Venezuelan 

coasts but particularly in the eastern region (Table 2; 

Fig. 11). 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 37 

Figure 11 

Tursiops truncatus occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Threats This species has been harpooned and incidentally taken in nets along Venezuelan coasts, but to a 

lesser extent than D. capensis (see Romero et al., 1997b 

for a summary). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks They can be found scattered in shallow waters in Venezuela (Evans et al., 1979) and it is not unusual to find them elsewhere in the Caribbean, with reports 

from Cuba (True, 1889; Cuní, 1918; Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 1974), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), Puerto Rico (Erdman, 1970; Erdman et al., 1973; 

Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), the Virgin Islands (Erdman, 

1970), Barbados (Turner, 1912), St. Vincent (Caldwell et 

al., 1971a; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975), Trinidad (Bacon, 

1975; van Bree, 1975), Curaçao (Debrot, 1998), Bonaire 

and Curaçao (Debrot et al., 1998), Aruba (Agudo and 

Ponson, 1996), Colombia (Prieto Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 

1990), the western Caribbean (Palacios et al., 1996), and 

Belize (Jefferson and Lynn, 1994). It is very common in 

the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 1994c). 

Genus Stenella Gray, 1866 


Stenella frontalis (G. Cuvier, 1829), Atlantic spotted


dolphin 

Spanish common names Ballenero* (NE of the 

Paria peninsula), delfín de dientes afilados, delfín manchado, delfín manchado del Atlántico, delfín moteado, 

delfín moteado común, delfín moteado del Atlántico, 

delfín moteado endémico, delfín pardo, delfín pintado, 

estenela moteada, moteado, prodelfín, tonina, tonina 

moteada, tonino. 

Proposed Spanish common name Vidal (1990) uses “delfín manchado del Atlántico” and we propose to 

maintain that name. 

Global distribution Tropical and warm-temperate 

Atlantic. Mostly coastal (Perrin et al., 1994a). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Throughout all the coastal areas and offshore as well (Table 2; Fig. 12). 

Threats It is captured incidentally in gill nets in 

Venezuela and hunted for shark bait and human consumption (Romero et al., 1997b). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks It is very common in the Caribbean (Perrin et al., 1987), with reports from Haiti (MignucciGiannoni, 1996), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly 

de Calventi, 1994), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Barbuda and Antigua (Gricks, 1994), Dominica and St. Lucia (Bonnelly 

de Calventi, 1994), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 1971a), 

Trinidad (Mitchell, 1970), Aruba (Agudo and Ponson, 

1996), Colombia (Prieto Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990), 

the western Caribbean (Palacios et al., 1996), and Pan-
38 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 12 

Stenella frontalis occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

ama (Caldwell and Caldwell, 1966; Perrin et al., 1994a). 

It is also common in the Gulf of Mexico (Mills and 

Rademacher, 1996; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). In January 1998, a massive stranding (>100) was reported for 

Isla de la Tortuga (Bolaños and Boher, 1998), the largest stranding event ever reported for Venezuela. 

Stenella attenuata (Gray, 1846), pantropical spotted 

dolphin 

Taxonomic status The justification for this name instead of Steno attenuatus (Gray, 1846) can be found in 

Perrin (1990a) and ICZN (1991). 

Spanish common names Bufeo manchado, delfín 

de antifaz, delfín manchado, delfín manchado pantropical, delfín moteado, delfín moteado de antifaz, delfín 

moteado pantropical, delfín moteado tropical, delfín 

pintado, estenela moteada pantropical, tonina, tonino 

pintado. 

Proposed Spanish common name We concur with 

Vidal (1990) in naming it “delfín manchado pantropical.” 

Global distribution Pantropical and some subtropical 

waters. Coastal and pelagic (Perrin and Hohn, 1994). 

Occurrence in Venezuela The only record is from 

the eastern region of Venezuela (Table 2). 

Threats None known in Venezuela. A severed head 

was found floating by Curaçao fishermen (12°8′N; 

69°0′W, near Venezuelan waters), however, in July 1991. 

Curaçao fishermen do not customarily kill dolphins 

(Debrot and Barros, 1994; LeDuc et al., 1997). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Lower Risk: 

Conservation Dependant” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks In the Atlantic it is primarily an animal of 

the high seas and oceanic islands. It has also been reported for Dominica (Gricks, 1994), St. Vincent (Perrin et al., 1987; Gricks, 1994), the Grenadines (Gricks, 

1994), other Lesser Antilles (Caldwell et al., 1971a), 

Klein Curaçao and Curaçao (LeDuc et al., 1997; Debrot et al., 1998), several localities of the open Caribbean Sea (Jefferson and Lynn, 1994), the Colombian Caribbean (Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Vidal, 1990), 

and the western Caribbean (Palacios et al., 1996). It 

seems more common in the Gulf of Mexico than in the 

Caribbean (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). The confusing taxonomy of the Stenella species-complex, clarified 

only recently (Perrin et al., 1987), has made it difficult 

to reliably identify the species and assess its Caribbean 

distribution. 

Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828), spinner dolphin 

Taxonomic status Based on Perrin (1990b) and Perrin and Gilpatrick (1994), the subspecies for Venezuela 

should be S. longirostris longirostris (Gray, 1828). 

Spanish common names Delfín churumbelo, delfín 

girador, delfín hilador, delfín de hocico largo, delfín 

tornillo, delfín tornillón, delfín volteador, estenela giradora, falso delfín, tonina, volteador. 

Proposed Spanish common name Casinos (1986) 

called this species “delfín de hocico largo,” which is not 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 39 

Figure 13 

Stenella longirostris occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

a very good descriptive reference since many delphinids have long snouts. We concur with Vidal (1990) who 

used the term “delfín girador” in reference to the spinning behavior of this species. 

Global distribution Tropical and subtropical seas of 

the world. Coastal and pelagic (Perrin and Gilpatrick, 

1994), although coastal records are usually from locations with deep waters close to shore. 

Occurrence in Venezuela In the eastern and central waters of the country (Table 2; Fig. 13). 

Threats It is incidentally captured in gill nets and its 

meat is occasionally used for shark bait and human consumption (Agudo, 1990). Remains have been found at 

fishing camps in the Archipiélago Las Aves, Isla de Barlovento (van Halewijn and van Bree, 1972). For a summary of human utilization, see Romero et al. (1997b). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Lower Risk” 

by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks It is fairly common in Venezuela. It has also been reported in the Bahamas (Varona, 1974), Cuba 

(Perrin et al., 1981), Puerto Rico (Erdman et al., 1973), 

Dominica (Gricks, 1994), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 

1971a; Gricks, 1994), the Grenadines (Gricks, 1994), 

Bonaire (Debrot et al., 1998), Curaçao (Debrot and 

Barros, 1994; Debrot, 1998; Debrot et al., 1998), and 

the Caribbean in general (Jefferson and Lynn, 1994; 

Palacios et al., 1996). There are 17 verified records for 

the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

It is possible that the dolphins seen by von Humboldt (1814) on November 18, 1799, off the coast of 

the Península de Araya, an area where spinner dolphins are common, were S. longirostris. He described 

his sighting as follows: “Bands of porpoises followed 

our bark. Fifteen or sixteen of these animals swam 

at equal distances from each other. When turning 

on their backs, they struck the surface of the waters, 

which seemed like flames issuing from the depth of 

the oceans. Each band of porpoises, ploughing the 

surface of the waters, left behind it a track of light, the 

more striking as the rest of the sea was not phosphorescent.” Perrin and Gilpatrick (1994) mentioned a 

similar description by Antoine-Joseph Pernety in 1769 

as possibly the first published reference to the spinner 

dolphin. 
40 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 14 

Stenella clymene and S. coeruleoalba occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Stenella clymene (Gray, 1850), Clymene dolphin 

Spanish common names Delfín celador, delfín clymene, delfín de yelmo, delfín tornillo hocico corto, 

delfín volteador hocico corto, tonina. 

Proposed Spanish common name Since other 

common names may confuse this species with Stenella 

longirostris, we concur with Casinos (1986) in using the 

name “delfín de yelmo.” 

Global distribution Tropical and subtropical Atlantic (Perrin and Mead, 1994). It is primarily pelagic (Jefferson et al., 1993). 

Occurrence in Venezuela The only record is for 

the eastern region of Venezuela (Table 2; Fig. 14). 

Threats The only record is for an individual incidentally captured in gill nets in Venezuelan waters and 

utilized for longline shark bait and human consumption (Agudo, 1990; Romero et al., 1997b). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks There is a paucity of records for this species worldwide, perhaps because its specific status was 

not recognized until 1981. The few records for the Caribbean are from St. Vincent and Curaçao (Perrin et al., 

1981; Watkins and Moore, 1982) whereas there are 50 

reliable records for the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 

1994b; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833), striped 

dolphin 

Spanish common names Delfín a rayas, delfín azul, 

delfín blanco, delfín blanco y azul, delfín de betas, 

delfín listado, delfín rayado, estenela, estenela listada, 

tonina. 

Proposed Spanish common name We concur with 

Casinos (1986) and Vidal (1990) in naming this species 

“delfín listado.” 

Global distribution Tropical and temperate seas of 

the world. Mostly off the continental shelf (Perrin et al., 

1994d). 

Occurrence in Venezuela All the records are from 

islands or pelagic (Table 2; Fig. 14). 

Threats None known in Venezuela. 

Conservation status It is classified as “Lower Risk” 

by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks It has been reported from Jamaica (True, 

1889; Gricks, 1994), the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. 

Croix (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. Vincent (Gricks, 

1994), Bonaire and Curaçao (van Bree, 1975; Debrot 

and Barros, 1994; Debrot et al., 1998), and the Colombian Caribbean (Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Vidal, 1990), 

as well as in several locations of the open Caribbean Sea 

(Jefferson and Lynn, 1994). It is not uncommon in the 

Gulf of Mexico with 27 verified records (Jefferson and 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 41 

Figure 15 

Delphinus capensis occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Schiro, 1997). We would expect more reports from Venezuela than the records indicate. 

Genus Delphinus Linnaeus, 1758


Delphinus capensis Gray, 1828, long-beaked 


common dolphin 

Spanish common names Delfín común, delfín de 

mar, *tonina, *tonina de mar (northeastern Venezuela), *tonino. 

Proposed Spanish common name “Delfín común” 

because it is widely used and applies perfectly to the geographical distribution and abundance of this species. 

Global distribution Mostly from tropical and temperate oceans of the world. Coastal and pelagic (Evans, 

1994). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Almost always in the eastern part of the country (Table 2; Fig. 15). 

Threats Ernst (1884) mentions artisanal use of this 

species as a source of oil for lamps and for sealing wooden ships. Van Halewijn and van Bree (1972) reported 

finding remains of D. capensis in a Margarita fishing 

camp. This is the dolphin usually taken by harpoon in local fisheries of Venezuela (Romero et al., 1997b), where 

local populations may be threatened by these actions. 

Conservation status and recommendations Because its taxonomy has been revised recently (it used 

to be considered D. delphis), there are no status listings. 

Given the large numbers of these animals taken by Venezuelan fishermen (Romero et al., 1997b), we propose 

that it should be classified as “Vulnerable” by the WCMC and placed in the Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks Although the overall population distribution remains poorly known because of past confusion 

with D. delphis (Rice, 1998), our examination of specimens leads us to conclude that this species is common 

along the eastern coasts of Venezuela where it has been 

seen in groups of up to 1,000 animals (Evans et al., 1979). 

There are no records, however, for the western part of 
42 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

the country. This is consistent with its general distributions in the western Atlantic (Rice, 1998). It has been 

reported from other parts of the Caribbean (Erdman, 

1970; Varona, 1974; van Bree, 1975; Watkins and Moore, 

1982), but is not known to occur in the Gulf of Mexico 

(Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). This is the only species of 

Venezuelan cetacean for which the parasite fauna has 

been studied (Mignucci-Giannoni et al., 1998a). 

Subfamily GLOBICEPHALINAE (Gray, 1866) Gill, 

1872 

Genus Feresa, 1827 

Feresa attenuata Gray, 1874, pygmy killer whale 

Spanish common names Ballena asesina pigmea, 

orca pigmea. 

Proposed Spanish common name “Orca pigmea,” 

the name most commonly used (Casinos, 1986; Vidal, 

1990). 

Global distribution This is a pantropical species 

(Ross and Leatherwood, 1994; Rice, 1998). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Only one record for western Venezuela (Table 2; Fig. 9). 

Unconfirmed records We received a report of an 

observer who claimed seeing one animal at sea (Romero et al., 1991), but this is an extremely difficult species 

to identify by simple visual observation. 

Threats None known for Venezuela. 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks This is a very uncommon species for the 

Caribbean, with one record each for Puerto Rico (Rodríguez-López and Mignucci-Giannoni, 1999), the British Virgin Islands (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Dominica (Gricks, 1994), and St. Vincent (Caldwell and 

Caldwell, 1971a; Caldwell et al., 1971a; Gricks, 1994). 

Cuervo Díaz et al. (1986) believe it can be found in the 

Colombian Caribbean. There are 19 reliable records 

for the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Genus Pseudorca Reinhardt, 1862


Pseudorca crassidens (Owen, 1846), false killer 


whale 

Spanish common names Delfín chato, orca bastarda, orca falsa. 

Proposed Spanish common name “Delfín chato” 

does not seem appropriately descriptive. Casinos (1986) 

employed the name “orca bastarda” while Vidal (1990) 

used “orca falsa.” We propose the use of “orca falsa” although “orca bastarda” is also unambiguous. 

Global distribution In all tropical and temperate 

oceans of the world. Mostly in deep water and offshore 

areas (Odell and McClune, 1999). 

Occurrence in Venezuela The few records are widespread, although this is the only cetacean in Venezuela 

for which there are more records from the central 

coasts than the eastern coasts (Table 2; Fig. 16). 

Threats None known in Venezuela even though one 

was harpooned by a tuna boat at Los Roques archipelago after it became entangled in fishing nets (Romero et 

al., 1997b). 

Conservation status and recommendations It is 

not classified by the WCMC, but it is in Appendix II of 

CITES. We propose that it be classified as “Data Deficient” until we learn more about its population status. 

Remarks An infrequent species with very few records: Cuba (Cuní, 1918; Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 1974; 

Gricks, 1994), Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), 

Dominica (Gricks, 1994; Notarbartolo di Sciara, personal observ.), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 1971a; Caldwell 

and Caldwell, 1975; Gricks, 1994), the Grenadines 

(Gricks, 1994), Tobago (Bruyns, 1969), and the western Caribbean (Palacios, 1996). There are 27 reliable 

records for the Gulf of Mexico (Mullin et al., 1994c; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). Miller (1921) published the 

first record for this species in Venezuela. 

Genus Orcinus Fitzinger, 1860


Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758), killer whale


Spanish common names Ballena asesina, delfín gigante, espadarte, espolarte, moscote, orca. 

Proposed Spanish common name “Orca,” because 

of its almost universal use. 

Global distribution In all oceans. It is the world’s 

most widely distributed mammal (Dahlheim and Heyning, 1999). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Widespread (Table 2; 

Fig. 17). 

Threats None known in Venezuela. 

Conservation status It is classified as “Lower Risk: 

Conservation Dependant” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks Although very common in temperate waters, it is also common in these tropical waters. There 

are many records for Venezuela, particularly from the 

nearby oceanic islands, but relatively few for other parts 

of the Caribbean. There are also reports for the Bahamas (Varona, 1974; Backus, 1961), Cuba (Cuní, 1918), 

Isla Culebra (18°13′N, 65°09′W) (Erdman, 1970), the 

Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), 

Dominica (Gricks, 1994), St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 

1971a; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975; Gricks, 1994) 

north to St. Thomas (Erdman, 1970), Bonaire (Debrot 

et al., 1998), and Curaçao (Debrot, 1998). Notarbartolo di Sciara observed a picture of a local specimen 

in the Natural History Museum of Port of Spain, Trinidad. There are few reliable records for the Gulf of Mexico, where it is considered relatively rare (Mullin et al., 

1994c; Jefferson and Schiro, 1997; O’Sullivan and Mullin, 1997). 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 43 

Figure 16 

Pseudorca crassidens occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Figure 17 

Orcinus orca occurrences by record number from Table 2. 
44 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Figure 18 

Globicephala macrorhynchus occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Genus Globicephala Lesson, 1828 

Globicephala macrorhynchus Gray, 1846, 

short-finned pilot whale 

Spanish common names Ballena cabeza de olla, 

ballena piloto, ballena piloto de aleta corta, cachalote, 

calderón, calderón de aletas cortas, calderón de aletas 

pectorales cortas, calderón negro, calderón tropical, 

*golfín (Sucre and Nueva Esparta States), ballena piloto de aleta corta. 

Proposed Spanish common name Vidal’s (1990) 

name of “calderón de aletas pectorales cortas,” besides 

being a literal translation from English, is extremely 

long for a common name; Casinos’ (1986) “calderón 

tropical” or “calderón de aleta” are imprecise since other Globicephalinae are tropical and all have distinctive 

fins. We propose the simplest term: “calderón.” 

Global distribution Mostly pelagic in tropical and 

warm-temperate waters (Bernard and Reilly, 1999). 

Occurrence in Venezuela Eastern waters (Table 2; 

Fig. 18). 

Threats None known in Venezuela. 

Conservation status It is classified as “Lower Risk: 

Conservation Dependant” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks It is extremely common in the Caribbean, 

with records from Cuba (De La Torre, 1887; Cuní, 

1918; León and Aguayo, 1945; Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 

1974; Mitchell, 1975), Jamaica (Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), Martinique (Klinowska, 1991; Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), Haiti (Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; Casinos, 

1986), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 

1994), Puerto Rico (Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; Erdman, 1970; Erdman et al., 1973; Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), the Virgin Islands (Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; 

Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), Anguilla (Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), Nevis (Caldwell et al., 1970; Caldwell et al., 1971a; 

Watkins and Moore, 1982), Antigua (Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), Guadeloupe (True, 1889; Caldwell and Erdman, 

1963; van Bree, 1975), Dominica (Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; Caldwell et al., 1971a; Varona, 1974; van 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 45 

Figure 19 

Ziphius cavirostris occurrences by record number from Table 2. 

Bree, 1975; Reeves, 1988), St. Lucia (Morice, 1958; Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; van Bree, 1975; Watkins and 

Moore, 1982; Reeves, 1988), St. Vincent (Brown, 1945, 

1947 [cited in Caldwell et al., 1971a]; Hickling, 1950 

[cited in Caldwell et al., 1971a]; Fenger, 1958; Morice, 

1958; Caldwell and Erdman, 1963; Caldwell et al., 1971a; 

Caldwell and Caldwell, 1971b; Rathjen and Sullivan, 

1976; van Bree, 1975; Watkins and Moore, 1982; Price, 

1985; Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), between Bonaire and 

Klein Bonaire (Debrot et al., 1998), Curaçao (Debrot, 

1998; Debrot et al., 1998), Aruba (Debrot et al., 1998; 

also mistakenly reported as Pseudorca crassidens in Agudo 

and Ponson, 1996), Colombia (Casinos and Bou, 1980; 

Cuervo Díaz et al., 1986; Vidal, 1990), and Mexico (Yucatán peninsula) (Morales Vela and Olivera Gómez, 1993). 

There are also numerous records from the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Superfamily ZIPHIOIDEA (Gray, 1865) Fraser and 

Purves, 1960 

Family ZIPHIIDAE Gray, 1865 

Genus Ziphius G. Cuvier, 1823 

Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823, Cuvier’s beaked 

whale 

Spanish common names Ballena de Cuvier, ballena 

hocicuda, ballena pico de ganso, ballena picuda, ballena picuda de Cuvier, ballenato de Cuvier, *cochino marino (Zulia), *serpa (northeastern Venezuela), *zerpa 

(northeastern Venezuela), zifio común, zifio de Cuvier. 

Proposed Spanish common name There is a great 

deal of confusion surrounding vernacular names for 

this species. Vidal’s (1990) and Casinos’ (1986) denominations of “ballena picuda de Cuvier” and “ballenato de 

Cuvier,” respectively, perpetuate the popular misassignment of this species to the mysticetes. We propose the 

use of “zifio común,” a truly vernacular name in many 

Spanish-speaking countries and a very distinct one. 

Global distribution Cosmopolitan except for polar 

waters. Mostly pelagic (Heyning, 1989a). 

Distribution in Venezuela The few records are 

sparse (Table 2; Fig. 19). 

Threats No threats are presently known in Venezuela, but in Bonaire, off Venezuela, four decomposed bodies washed ashore on an island following an underwater explosion related to military exercises (van Bree and 

Kristensen, 1974; Simmonds and López-Jurado, 1991). 

Conservation status It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the WCMC and is in Appendix II of CITES. 

Remarks This is a rarely observed species known 

mostly from strandings, the most numerous reported for 

any of the beaked whales (Heyning, 1989a). It apparently avoids vessels by diving, thus making sightings rare. 

It is not an infrequent species in the general area since it 

has also been reported for the nearby islands of Bonaire 

(van Bree and Kristensen, 1974), Aruba (Agudo and Ponson, 1996), and Curaçao (van Bree et al., 1973; Debrot 

and Barros, 1994; Debrot et al., 1998) as well as in adjacent waters (8°02′N, 14°05′W, van Bree et al., 1973). 
46 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

The reports for other Caribbean locations are numerous 

and widespread: Cuba (Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 1964; Erdman, 1970; Ubeda, 1971 [cited in Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996]; Varona, 1974), the Bahamas (Varona, 1974; 

Gricks, 1994), Grand Cayman (Mignucci-Giannoni, 

1996), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de Calventi, 

1994), Puerto Rico (Erdman, 1961, 1962; Moore, 1968; 

Erdman, 1970; Erdman et al., 1973; Varona, 1974; 

Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), the U.S. and British Virgin Islands (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. Martin (van Bree 

et al., 1973; van Bree and Kristensen, 1974), Barbados 

(Caldwell et al., 1971a,b; Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. 

Vincent (Caldwell et al., 1971b; Caldwell and Caldwell, 

1975; Gricks, 1994), and Colombia (Prieto Rodríguez, 

1988; Vidal, 1990). It is also reported for the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Tello (1979) first reported it for Venezuela but did not 

cite any source for his information. None of the literature he reviewed mentions it for Venezuela, so we are 

unclear about the basis for his report. Casinos (1981) reported the first confirmed Venezuelan specimen. 

Discussion 

Quantitative analyses 

The records summarized here represent individual records 

of occurrences by species and by locality. As such, there is 

little meaningful analysis that can be performed because 

not only do they not represent any kind of statistically valid 

sampling (such as an appropriate census or survey), but 

they are also certainly affected by a variety of biases, generally of unknown magnitude and direction. The likelihood of a record being produced can be independently 

affected by geographical habits of both the species and 

the observers, the behavior and recognizability of the species and their propensity to be captured or stranded, 

observers’ inclinations and capabilities to describe and 

record, etc. Undoubtedly there are also strong interactions among these and other variables, affecting the presence or absence of records at different locations. 

Nevertheless, there are a few summary analyses that 

may be useful to compare with other similar compilations of cetacean records in other areas affected by the 

same factors. These need to be viewed with considerable 

caution, however, because such factors as observers’ 

recording inclinations, species’ habits, etc., may vary 

greatly by geographical location. Comparisons among 

species may also be of some value, but, once again, they 

must be viewed with caution. Such simple figures as the 

number of records for each species are strongly affected 

by many factors that have no specific relationship with 

the species’ relative abundance. For example, number 

of potential observers in areas animals frequent, ease of 

observing, diving depth and surfacing habits of species, 

etc., all affect the number of records produced. 

Sources of records: sightings vs. strandings 

The origin of records in Venezuela is summarized in 

Table 4. Looking only at the total number of records for 

Venezuela (i.e., 443) independent of the number of individual animals reported, we find that there are nearly five 

times more that correspond to sightings than to strandings (4.67:1). This figure contrasts sharply with results 

obtained in a similar analysis for Great Britain, where the 

ratio of sighting to stranding records was 1.25:1 (Evans, 

1980). Our figure is conservative in that we have classified records that combine sightings and strandings into 

the stranding category. If we adopt the most conservative 

approach and assign the 62 records of collection specimens—virtually all resulting from animals that were captured or stranded—to strandings, we reduce our ratio to 

2.24:1, still almost double the result for Great Britain. 

There are at least two reasonable interpretations of 

this difference. First, it is possible that strandings along 

the Venezuelan coast are unusual occurrences with respect to the overall abundance of cetaceans in its waters. 

This explanation is consistent with the results of a recent report for cetaceans of the Leeward Dutch Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, and Aruba), the geographically 

closest possible non-Venezuelan comparison. It yielded 

a 3.12:1 ratio of sightings to strandings (n = 70, Debrot 

et al., 1998), a result closer to our findings for Venezuela reported in this paper than that reported for Great 

Britain. It is therefore possible that there is a difference in the probability of being stranded on the British 

Isles than in this region, a circumstance that could arise 

from a variety of behavioral, health, meteorological, or 

oceanographic origins. 

The second interpretation is that strandings on the 

coasts of Great Britain occur in the same low proportion as we found for Venezuela, but are much more likely to be observed and/or recorded. This explanation is 

supported by the long-standing tradition of reporting 

a stranded cetacean (a “royal fish”) in the U.K., by the 

existence of stranding networks there for which there 

are no parallels in Venezuela, and possibly by the persistence of remains in the British climate due to a slower 

rate of decomposition. There is, nevertheless, no certain way to distinguish between the alternative explanations of an actual difference in strandings, a reporting 

difference, or some combination of both. 

Species differences 

Records of I. geoffrensis account for almost half the total 

(49%, Table 4). Records of D. capensis (9%) and S. fluviatilis (8%) are the next most frequent. 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 47 

Table 4 

Types of cetacean records for Venezuela by species. 

Species Sightings1 Strandings2 Hunting/incidental capture3 Museum specimen4 Total records 

B. borealis 3 3 

B. edeni 12 9 1 22 

B. physalus 3 3 

M. novaeangliae 5 3 4 12 

P. macrocephalus 7 2 2 1 12 

I. geoffrensis 162 1 25 28 216 

S. bredanensis 1 1 2 

S. fluviatilis 17 10 2 8 37 

G. griseus 1 1 2 

T. truncatus 4 6 4 6 20 

S. frontalis 6 5 3 9 23 

S. attenuata 1 1 

S. longirostris 13 3 1 17 

S. clymene 1 1 

S. coeruleoalba 3 3 

D. capensis 14 8 11 7 40 

F. attenuata 1 1 

P. crassidens 2 3 1 6 

O. orca 9 1 1 11 

G. macrorhynchus 5 2 7 

Z. cavirostris 1 2 1 4 

Total 266 57 58 62 443 

1 Sightings include photographic, videotape, tagging (capture/release) records, and unspecified reports. 

2	 Strandings that are not a result of hunting or incidental capture; also includes records within which both sighting and stranding are reported; includes 

stranding records where the remains may eventually become a museum specimen. 

3	 Includes records where both sighting and capture are reported, strandings of wounded animals, and those instances when a hunted or captured animal may 

eventually become a museum specimen. 

4 Only specimens whose records do not indicate that cause of death was stranding, hunting, or incidental capture. 

These results illustrate the confounding of species 

abundance and likelihood of observers to record. There 

is little doubt that D. capensis is the most common marine cetacean in Venezuela, so it is not surprising that 

reports are numerous. The abundance of I. geoffrensis 

and S. fluviatilis, on the other hand, is comparatively 

low (see earlier Results, Systematic List), but they inhabit river or coastal areas with good visibility and/or high 

human population density, and are thus very likely to be 

over-represented in the records. Note that species represented by only a single record, namely S. attenuata, F. 

attenuata, and S. clymene, may, in parallel fashion, either 

be rare in Venezuelan waters, may be very difficult to 

correctly identify, or may have habits that, in conjunction with the habits of human observers, do not make 

them likely to be recorded. B. edeni is the most common 

mysticete in the records, with strandings and sightings 

contributing about equally to the number of reports. 

This may reflect that aggregations in its spring and summer feeding areas coincide with intense fishing activity 

(both whales and fishermen are frequent in these productive eastern waters); it is also an area frequented 

by commercial boat traffic. In addition, we suggest that 

the stranding of a whale is considered more noteworthy and hence more likely to be recorded than that of a 

small delphinid. 

Debrot et al. (1998) examined records for the Leeward Dutch Antilles, the group of islands north of the 

western Venezuelan coast. They also found the most 

common species of mysticete to be B. edeni. The most 

common odontocete for those islands is S. longirostris 

(10% of their records) and they have no records for 

D. capensis. We found S. longirostris to be reported for 

Venezuelan waters at comparable levels (nearly 9% of 

our records of marine species), but D. capensis is our 

most frequently reported marine cetacean in Venezuela. Its absence from their records might at first seem 

surprising, but it is important to note that all of our 

records for this species are concentrated in the eastern part of the country, far from their area of study. 

It should also be noted that although D. capensis is 

not uncommon in the Caribbean (Heyning and Perrin, 1994; Rice, 1998), it is very rare in the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). Thus, it is quite pos-
48 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Table 5 

Annual distribution of marine records of cetaceans for Venezuela. 

Month 

Species I II III IV V VI VII VIII X XII 

B. borealis 1 1 1 

B. edeni 1 2 2 1 1 4 1 

B. physalus 1 1 

M. novaeangliae 2 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 

P. macrocephalus 1 1 2 1 

S. bredanensis 1 

S. fluviatilis 5 4 3 2 1 

G. griseus 2 

T. truncatus 4 3 1 1 3 

S. frontalis 1 4 1 1 1 2 3 

S. attenuata 

S. longirostris 1 1 5 2 3 

S. clymene 1 

S. coeruleoalba 1 1 1 

D. capensis 3 7 1 3 1 3 2 1 1 

F. attenuata 1 

P. crassidens 1 1 1 

O. orca 1 1 1 1 2 

G. macrorhynchus 1 1 

Z. cavirostris 1 1 

Total 8 24 19 12 9 8 24 10 8 2 

Table 6 

Annual distribution of freshwater cetacean records for Venezuela (excludes marine or estuarine records for these species). 

Month 

Species I II III IV V VI VII VIII X XII 

I. geoffrensis 4 7 17 26 10 4 8 6 8 2 

S. fluviatilis 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 6 1 

Total 7 8 19 27 32 6 7 21 9 3 

IX XI 

1 4 3 

3 

1 

1 

3 3 

1 

12 16 

IX XI 

31 15 

1 1 1 

11 10 

sible that this delphinid has narrow local geographical 

ranges and habitat preferences. 

Seasonal variation 

Table 5 reveals an uneven bimodal annual distribution of 

records for marine cetaceans in Venezuela (H0=uniform; 

X2=69.8, df=11, p<0.001). Debrot et al. (1998) did not 

find a particular pattern of abundance for cetacean species in the Leeward Dutch Islands. The reason for that 

may be that those waters, unlike the eastern waters of 

Venezuela where most of the cetacean records are from, 

are not greatly affected by the seasonal changes in the 

discharges of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers. 

Table 6 shows an uneven bimodal annual distribution 

of records for the freshwater records of cetaceans in 

Venezuela. It also exhibits a non-uniform annual distribution (X2=40.2, df=11, p<0.001). 

The temporal records for I. geoffrensis reflect an interaction between its ecology and human activity. Most records occurred between March and May from drainage 

areas experiencing the peak of the dry season. When 

water levels are low, access is easiest for observers and 

freshwater dolphins are most visible. Most of the records for the rainy season (June–November), however, 

originate from the Orinoco River and its delta, a very 

large drainage system whose water volume is less affected by seasonal precipitation. 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 49 

The few freshwater records for S. fluviatilis reveal 

a rather homogeneous distribution (X2=12.9, df=11, 

p>0.05). This is consistent with the non-migratory nature of the species and the fact that most records originated from coastal outlets or riverine areas that do not 

experience major seasonal variations in human population or activity. 

Although both marine and freshwater annual distributions are bimodal, their patterns do not coincide 

(Pearson’s r=0.112, Spearman’s ρ=0.428; p>.05). There 

is an August–September dip in records for the freshwater records whereas at the same time the marine records 

are at their second annual peak. Both exhibit a minimum for the December–January period, the time of 

year that is a traditional “fishermen’s holiday” (Romero et al., 1997b). The paucity of winter records reflects 

at least partial dependence of the number of records 

on human activity, but if that alone accounts for the 

low numbers, we would expect a relatively greater effect 

on marine species than is shown. This illustrates, once 

again, the difficulty of interpreting records of this kind 

as unambiguously reflecting either the natural history 

of the animals or the biases of human reporting. 

Spatial distribution 

Any interpretation of geographical variation must be 

considered in light of the distribution of fish, the 

common prey both for fishermen and for most cetaceans. An abundance of sighting and capture records 

from any locality certainly indicates presence of a species, but a paucity or absence of records could be 

attributed to an absence of fishing boats rather than 

definitely indicating the absence of a cetacean species. 

There clearly are seasonal locale-dependent variations 

in the abundance of fish and they can be expected to 

affect the seasonal location of their predators. The mysticetes, as well, undoubtedly have seasonal movements, 

their prey perhaps influenced by the same patterns of 

nutrient enrichment that affect fish. The periodic enrichment in the eastern Caribbean results from the presence of continental waters that come from the Orinoco 

delta, enter through the Dragon’s Mouth as well as the 

pass between Trinidad and Tobago, and produce an upwelling of enriched waters at about 63°W. This is evident 

between July and October, the months of greatest discharge from the Orinoco River (Monente, 1997). 

This upwelling and its effect on fish abundance is 

reflected in 60% of the fishing take occurring off the 

eastern coasts, Anzoátegui, Sucre, and Nueva Esparta 

(Gómez Gaspar, 1996). The Orinoco also has tremendous influence in the Paria Gulf, particularly during the 

rainy season (May–November). Additional geographical influences arise from the littoral lagoons and the 

Amazon River. 

Table 7 

Summary of confirmed and expected cetacean species 

for Venezuela (see text for each species for evidence). 

Species firmed Possibility 

B. acutorostrata Unlikely 

B. borealis X 

B. edeni X 

B. physalus X 

M. novaeangliae X 

P. macrocephalus X 

K. breviceps Likely 

K. sima Very likely 

I. geoffrensis X 

S. bredanensis X 

S. fluviatilis X 

G. griseus X 

T. truncatus X 

S. frontalis X 

S. attenuata X 

S. longirostris X 

S. clymene X 

S. coeruleoalba X 

D. capensis X 

L. hosei Likely 

P. electra Likely 

F. attenuata X 

P. crassidens X 

O. orca X 

G. macrorhynchus X 

M. densirostris Likely 

M. europaeus Very likely 

Z. cavirostris X 

Con

The records of cetaceans in Venezuelan marine waters 

also show a distinct pattern. Of the 165 marine records 

with longitude noted, 119 (72%) are from 63°05′W 

through 65°26′W, with the remainder tapering off as 

locality records are examined to the east and to the 

west (mean 64.9°W, SD=2.0; median 64.4°W, range 

61.6°–72.9°W). This is consistent with the productivity of 

Venezuelan waters, which is high at this longitude, due 

largely to the influence of periodic enrichment by sediments from the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, and diminishes in both easterly and westerly directions (Monente, 

1997). Similar studies carried out with planktivorous 

fish have also shown consistency with such productivity 

patterns (Romero et al., 2000). 

Conservation status 

At least seven of the cetacean species confirmed for 

Venezuela should be considered “Threatened” (i.e., I. 

geoffrensis and those with CITES status “I”; Table 3). 
50 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

The principal risk is hunting, but incidental captures, 

live-collecting, and habitat disruption are also serious 

concerns (Romero et al., 1997b). 

Current knowledge and expected species 

There are 83 species of cetaceans in the world (Rice, 

1998). In this paper we confirm the presence of 21 of 

them in Venezuelan waters from a variety of records, 

but systematic, long-term efforts have not been made to 

survey the cetacean fauna in this area. Almost without 

exception, the records summarized here are the result of 

opportunistic and incidental rather than systematic and 

intentional observations and identifications of stranded 

or captured animals. We believe that an additional seven 

species of cetaceans will be added to this list based on 

their distribution in adjacent waters and on other locality reports, although some may be occasional visitors or 

strays rather than residents. They are listed below in the 

systematic order offered by Perrin et al. (1994b). 

Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804, minke 

whale This is a cosmopolitan species that can be 

found in both coastal and pelagic waters. Although 

there are two reports for Venezuela, we consider them 

to be doubtful. The report for Margarita Island (Cervigón and Velázquez, 1981) could be B. edeni. The report 

from the area between Isla La Tortuga and Margarita in 

1873 (Ernst, 1877, 1886) is inconclusive as to species. 

The minke whale has been reported for the Bahamas 

(Varona, 1974), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de 

Calventi, 1994; Gricks, 1994), Anguilla (Leatherwood et 

al., 1976), Antigua and Guadeloupe (Gricks, 1994), and 

the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997), but 

these localities are distant from Venezuelan waters. The 

confirmed record nearest to Venezuelan waters is from 

Surinam (Slijper et al., 1964; Husson, 1978). If a minke 

whale is found in Venezuela, it is likely to have strayed 

from its usual environs. 

Kogia breviceps (Blainville, 1838), pygmy sperm 

whale This is another cosmopolitan species (except 

for polar waters), mostly neritic and also pelagic (Caldwell and Caldwell, 1989). It has been reported for the 

Colombian Caribbean (Prieto Rodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 

1990) and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including Cuba 

(León and Aguayo, 1945; Aguayo, 1954; Varona, 1974; 

Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975; Gricks, 1994), Puerto Rico 

(D.S. Erdman in Caldwell and Caldwell, 1989; Gricks, 

1994; Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), the U.S. Virgin Islands 

(Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), the Dominican Republic 

(Bonnelly de Calventi, 1994), Dominica (Gricks, 1994), 

St. Vincent (Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975, 1989), and in 

the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). Notarbartolo di Sciara has repeatedly sighted it off Martinica. 

With these occurrences throughout nearby waters, we 

expect it to be an occasional visitor to Venezuelan territorial waters. 

Kogia sima (Owen, 1866), dwarf sperm whale This is 

a pelagic species found in tropical and warm-temperate 

oceans of the world (Caldwell and Caldwell, 1989). 

Although there are fewer records for the Caribbean 

in general for this species than for K. breviceps, we 

expect it to be present in Venezuelan waters since it 

has been reported for the nearby island of Klein Curaçao (Debrot and Barros, 1992), in Aruba (Debrot et 

al., 1998), and in the Colombian Caribbean (Cuervo 

Díaz et al., 1986; Muñoz-Hincapié et al., 1998). It has 

also been reported for Cuba (León and Aguayo, 1945), 

Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), St. Vincent 

(Caldwell et al., 1973; Caldwell and Caldwell, 1975) and 

the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser, 1956, Fraser’s dolphin 

This is an uncommon pantropical and mostly pelagic 

species (Perrin et al., 1994c). Most reports are from 

the high seas, particularly around oceanic islands, with 

relatively few from strandings. It has been found in 

Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni et al., 1999), Dominica (Gricks, 1994; Watkins et al., 1994), St. Vincent 

(Caldwell et al., 1976; Gricks, 1994) and the Grenadines 

(Gricks, 1994). Cuervo Díaz et al. (1986) believe it to be 

present in the Colombian Caribbean. There are seven 

verified records for the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson et al., 

1993). As is the case for most oceanic small cetaceans, 

little is known about it, so there is no basis even for speculating about its distribution in Venezuelan waters. 

Peponocephala electra (Gray, 1846), melon-headed 

whale This is a pantropical and pansubtropical pelagic 

species (Perryman et al., 1994). Mignucci-Giannoni 

(1996) mistakenly reported it for Venezuela. A sighting 

off Klein Bonaire and a stranding report for Curaçao 

(Debrot et al., 1998) lead us to believe that it should be 

found in Venezuelan waters. It has also been reported 

for Puerto Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni et al., 1998b) and 

St. Vincent (Caldwell et al., 1976; Watkins et al., 1997), 

and Notabartolo di Sciara has observed it several times 

off the west coast of Dominica (see also Watkins et 

al., 1997). Cuervo Díaz et al. (1986) believe it to be 

present in the Colombian Caribbean. According to van 

Bree (1975), it “may occur” in the southern Caribbean. 

There are 12 reliable records for the Gulf of Mexico 

(Barron and Jefferson, 1993; Mullin et al., 1994a). 

Mesoplodon densirostris (de Blainville, 1817), Blainville’s beaked whale Found in tropical and warmtemperate seas of the world, it is mostly pelagic in deep 

seas, but is also occasionally coastal. It has the widest 
Romero et al.: Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their Distribution and Conservation Status 51 

global distribution of all the Mesoplodon species (Mead, 

1989). We have not been able to confirm the only 

report for Venezuela from the waters around Margarita 

Island, given by Susach and cited in Casinos (1986). 

Its presence for Venezuelan waters is possible since 

it has been reported both for the Caribbean (Mead, 

1989) and the Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 

1997). It has been reported for the Bahamas (Gricks, 

1994), Cuba (Varona, 1974), Grand Cayman Island 

(Gricks, 1994; Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), and Puerto 

Rico (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996). Cuervo Díaz et al. 

(1986) believe it to be present in the Colombian Caribbean. According to Klinowska (1991), “any country 

within the general distribution area could produce 

records in future.” Van Bree (1975) believes that it “may 

occur” in the southern Caribbean. 

Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais, 1855), Gervais’ 

beaked whale It is found in tropical and warmtemperate waters of the Atlantic, much more frequently in the western than in the eastern Atlantic 

(Mead, 1989). Its presence in Trinidad (Fraser, 1955), 

Aruba (Agudo and Ponson, 1996), Bonaire (Debrot 

et al., 1998), and Curaçao (Debrot and Barros, 1992; 

Debrot, 1998) make it likely that is also frequents 

Venezuelan waters. It has also been reported for several locations in the Caribbean: the Bahamas (Gricks, 

1994), Cuba (Aguayo, 1954; Rankin, 1956; Varona, 

1970, 1974; Gricks, 1994), Jamaica (Rankin, 1953, 

1954; Lewis, 1954; Rankin, 1955; Caldwell, 1964; 

Gricks, 1994), the Dominican Republic (Bonnelly de 

Calventi, 1994), St. Croix (Mignucci-Giannoni, 1996), 

Trinidad and Tobago (Gricks, 1994), and also for the 

Gulf of Mexico (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997). 

Conclusions 

Our results show that the number of marine cetacean 

records in Venezuelan waters reflects a geographical 

distribution that is congruent with areas of high productivity. The seasonal nature of those records also 

reflects seasonal variations of productivity. These results 

are interpreted to be consistent with recently published 

results for marine cetaceans of the Leeward Dutch 

Islands (Debrot et al., 1998), the geographically closest 

comparison. The absence of D. capensis from those 

islands may reflect narrow local ranges. 

Systematic surveys, long term population studies, 

and behavioral studies tracking individual animals 

are all needed to provide an accurate picture of the 

distribution and abundance of cetaceans not only in 

Venezuelan waters but worldwide. The results of such 

studies would also permit evaluating how well our 

methods of compiling and analyzing records fairly 

reflects the actual spatial and temporal distribution 

and abundance of cetaceans. Such results would permit evaluating what biases are present in ad hoc records so that other similar compilations can be better 

interpreted. 

Acknowledgments 

Special thanks to Cristina Salazar and Carol Gersmehl 

who produced the GIS distribution maps in the Cartography Lab at Macalester College. 

The following individuals provided useful information and/or cooperated in the preparation of the manuscript: Carlos Atilano (Ingeniería A y S C.A., Caracas), 

Francisco Bisbal (EBRG), Salvador Boher (IZT), Mario 

E. Capaldo (Obervatorio Naval Juan Manuel Cajigal, 

Caracas), Angel O. Colmenares (Fuomap & Asoc., Caracas), Liana Cortijo (Fundación Cultura 5, Caracas), 

Julia Creek (International Whaling Commission, Cambridge, UK), A. O. Debrot (CARMABI, Curaçao, N.A.), 

Luis Freites (Fundemar, Cumaná), Kay K. Hale (Library, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL), John Heyning 

(Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, CA), 

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute (San Diego, CA), 

Jaime Jiménez (Fundemar, Cumaná), Abdem Ramón 

Lancini (MCNC), Pablo Lau (La Salle), Daniel Lew (La 

Salle), Omar Linares (MCNUSB), Iván López (Fundemar, Cumaná), Asunción Martínez (Fundación Vuelta 

Larga, Guaraúnos-Carúpano), Enrique Marval (Fundemar, Cumaná), James G. Mead (USNM), Daniel Mueller (Fundación Vuelta Larga, Guaraúnos, Carúpano), 

Ricardo Muñoz-Tebar (Ingeniería A y S, Caracas), Luis 

Orive (Fundemar, Cumaná), Ernesto Pannier (MCNUSB), William F. Perrin (NOAA), Humberto Ramírez 

Nahím (Club Sexto Continente, Caracas), Carmen J. Rodríguez Blondell (VTV, Caracas), A. G. Rol (Zoologisch 

Museum, Amsterdam), Adri G. Rol (ZMA), Andrea 

Romero, Juan Ramón Romero (Dirección de Archivos 

Estatales, Ministerio de Cultura, Madrid, Spain), Javier 

Sánchez (EBRG), Genaro Solé (FUDENA, Caracas), 

Barbara Stein (MVZ), José Antonio Terán (MCNC), 

Ben Tuson (IUCN, Gland, Switzerland), Roberto Verginelli (Fundemar, Cumaná), Angel Luis Viloria (Museo 

de Biología, La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo). 

Angela Bancalari (Florida Atlantic University) was extremely helpful in obtaining information that otherwise 

was not available to the authors. 

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60 NOAA Technical Report NMFS 151 

Appendix 1 

Institutions, alphabetically by abbreviation, and their locations. 

Abbreviation Location 

AMNH American Museum of Natural History New York, NY, USA 

ASOEVEFAS ón de Estudiantes de Veterinaria por la Fauna Silvestre, Maracaibo, Venezuela 

Universidad del Zulia 

CAS California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA, USA 

CN Universitat Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark 

CVTLUZ ón de Vertebrados Terrestres, Centro de Biología, Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela 

Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad del Zulia 

EBRG Museo de la Estación Biológica de Rancho Grande Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela 

EDM E.D. Mitchell, private collection 

FMNH Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, IL, USA 

IC Cañizales, private collection Maracaibo, Venezuela 

ICNB Instituto de Ciencias Naturales de Bogotá Bogotá, Colombia 

LACM Los Angeles County Museum Los Angeles, CA, USA 

LBCS Laboratorio de Biología, Colegio Saleciano, Sarriá Caracas, Venezuela 

MBLUZ Museo de Biología de la Universidad del Zulia Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela 

MBUCV Museo de Biología de la Universidad Central de Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela 

MCIBLUZ Museo del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Facultad de Maracaibo, Venezuela 

Humanidades y Educación, Universidad del Zulia 

MCIMAR Museo del Centro de Investigaciones Marinas del la Universidad 

Experimental Francisco de Miranda Coro, Venezuela 

MCN or MCNC Museo de Ciencias Naturales (d.b.a. Fundación Museo de Ciencias) Caracas, Venezuela 

MCNUSB Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad Simón Bolívar Venezuela 

MDMBR Museo del Mar de Boca de Río, Universidad de Oriente Boca del Río, Margarita, Venezuela 

MDMCU Museo del Mar Cumaná, Venezuela 

MEDIMAR Museo de la Estación de Investigaciones Marinas de Margarita, Punta de Piedras, Venezuela 

Fundación La Salle 

MHNLS Museo de Historia Natural La Salle Caracas, Venezuela 

USNM United States National Museum Washington, DC, USA 

ZMA Zoologisch Museum, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Holland 

Institution 

Asociaci

Colecci

Israel 

Caracas,