namu-the-orca on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/namu-the-orca/art/Meeting-a-Cuvier-s-448825505namu-the-orca

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Meeting a Cuvier's

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Description

Species depicted: Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)
Time taken: ~5-6 hours
References used: none specifically
Tools of the trade: Photoshop CS5


A young Atlantic spotted dolphin comes face to face with a Cuvier's beaked whale - at almost 7 metres and three times her own length, it's quite a sight to behold for the little dolphin:

"A light shape first appeared as a spectre many metres below, gaining clarity only as it ascended through the water column.
A Cuvier’s beaked whale. He rose in absolute dead silence, seemingly without even having to flick his tail. It was as if unknown
forces simply carried him up. The whale’s size was what perhaps astounded her the most, yet showed no intent to harm her.
The beaked whale quietly broke the surface, expelling an almost two-hour held breath and taking in new gulps of air. His left
eye went over her sleek, spotted body and in turn she looked at his battle-scared sides. At the tip of his curved beak, two little
teeth broke through the gums and it left her in little doubt that this gentle giant also had a more aggressive side. Unwittingly
she’d drifted closer to the rare visitor and eventually they lay almost side-to-side when the whale decided it was time to leave
again. One last, deep breath marked his exit as his body suddenly came to life. Muscles tightened, a huge pair of flukes moved
through the water and the sheer force of his movements were more than felt through the turbulence.

He sunk back to the ocean floor, disappearing without a trace."


Just something that came to mind and got whipped up in a (for me) short period of time. I've been very fond of Cuvier's beaked whales for a very long time; there's something about those oddly smiling faces and wonderful markings that I love. Also, their faces are pretty easy to get right (certainly helps when you're trying to draw one). Atlantic spotted dolphins are a species that will inevitably end up looking like a bottlenose dolphin when I doodle them freely, and come out well rather easily with some photos haha. 



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