Pilot Whales At Pelagos Sanctuary

PELAGOS SANCTUARY (FRANCE), MEDITERRANEAN SEA - AUGUST 15: Observation of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) surfacing together on August 15, 2020 in the French part of the Pelagos Sanctuary, Mediterranean Sea. Long-finned pilot whales generally form groups of between 10 and 60 individuals. The number of males is often less important. Significantly more massive than the females, their role is to protect the calves from potential predators such as killer whales or large sharks. Social cohesion is so strong that it represents the cause of spectacular mass strandings, all individuals following the dominant, even if it is ill or disoriented. (Photo by Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images)