page_title: Melon-headed whale
section_title: Geographic range and distribution
hierarchical_section_title: Melon-headed whale / Geographic range and distribution
caption_attribution_description: Found between Balicasag Island and Alona Beach, they only stayed on the surface for a minute or so before doing a deep dive. We waited around for 20 mins but we didn't see them again.
context_page_description: The melon-headed whale, also, less commonly, known as the electra dolphin, little killer whale, or many-toothed blackfish, is a small- to medium-sized toothed whale of the oceanic dolphin family. The common name is derived from the head shape. Melon-headed whales are widely distributed throughout deep tropical/subtropical waters worldwide, however they are rarely encountered at sea. They are found near shore only around oceanic islands, such as Hawaiʻi, French Polynesia and the Philippines.
context_section_description: Melon-headed whales occur in deep tropical/subtropical oceanic waters, between 40°N and 35°S. Although considered an offshore pelagic species, in some regions there are island-associated populations (e.g., Hawaiʻi) and they can be found close to shore associated with oceanic islands and archipelagoes, such as Palmyra and the Philippines. Sightings or strandings at the extremes of their range are likely associated with extensions of warm currents. Melon-headed whales are not known to be migratory.
caption: A pod in Bohol Sea between Balicasag Island and Alona Beach
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