The pilot whale is a toothed whale related to the dolphin, and belongs to a group called 'Black fish' because of their color. Pilot whales grow to a length of about seven and a half meters. They swim in schools of up to several hundred members, sometimes following a leader in single file. They feed primarily on squid, although they are known to eat octopus, cuttlefish, herring and other small fish. They are found in deep waters, and can be recognized by their keel shaped dorsal fins that have drooping tips.
Pilot whales can swim as fast as forty km an hour. They are intelligent too. The U.S. Navy once trained a pilot whale to find and help bring up objects that were 487 meters under water! Pilot whales get their name from the fact that they were once used to guide ships through narrow straits. They tend to swim along deeper water channels, and by following them, sailors could prevent their ships from running aground.
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