There are two species of pilot whales commonly known as the long-finned and the short-finned pilot whale. The pilot whales found in the North Atlantic are of the long-finned species (Globicephala melas), and are known to the Faroese as grindahvalur. They occur widely and in great numbers in temperate, sub-arctic waters in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Long-finned pilot whales migrate in schools, or pods, numbering anything from just a few to up to a thousand or more. The males can reach a maximum weight of 2.5 tons and a maximum length of 6.5 metres, while the females can reach maximums of 1.5 tons and 5.5 metres respectively. The pilot whale stock in the eastern and central North Atlantic is estimated to number 778,000.
