Globicephala macrorhynchus
Bulbous melon, low swept-back dorsal set far forward. Catalina's lost residents, gone since 1983.
Short-finned pilot whales were once common off Southern California, with an apparently resident population around Santa Catalina Island. After the 1982–83 El Niño they virtually disappeared from these waters and have never returned in numbers.
HOW RARITY IS JUDGED →Newport & Long Beach operators share daily trip counts — you can see what was spotted before you book. Other operators don't publish daily reports.