Short CommunicationFirst record of Mesoplodon densirostris (Blainville 1817) from continental East Africa

Abstract

Blainville’s beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris is one of the most widely distributed members of the family Ziphiidae (the beaked whales). However, its exact distribution in many parts of the world remains unknown. On 24 November 2004, the partly skeletonised carcass of an adult male Blainville’s beaked whale was found on a beach north of the Sabaki River in Kenya (03°09′ S, 40°08′ E). This is the first confirmed record for this species for continental East Africa, and contributes to our knowledge of the distribution of Blainville’s beaked whale in the western Indian Ocean.

Keywords: Blainville’s beaked whale, western Indian Ocean, Ziphiidae

African Journal of Marine Science 2012, 34(3): 453–454