---
title: "Gray's Beaked Whale"
description: "Mesoplodon grayi — Mammals. Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi), sometimes known as Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale, is one of the better-known members of the genus Mesoplodon."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/gray-s-beaked-whale
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Gray's Beaked Whale

> Mesoplodon grayi — Mammals. Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi), sometimes known as Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale, is one of the better-known members of the genus Mesoplodon.

- Scientific name: *Mesoplodon grayi*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammals)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 48
- Wikidata: [Q943889](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q943889)
- iNaturalist taxon: [41405](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41405)

## Names

- en: Gray's Beaked Whale
- de: Camperdown-Wal
- es: Ballena De Pico De Gray
- fr: Mésoplodon de Gray
- nl: Spitssnuitdolfijn van Gray
- pt: Baleia-bicuda-de-gray
- pl: Dziobowal południowy

## Countries with the most observations

NZ (21)

## Summary

Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi), sometimes known as Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale, is one of the better-known members of the genus Mesoplodon. This species is fairly gregarious and strands relatively frequently for a beaked whale. In the Māori language, this species is called hakurā or iheihe.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray%27s_beaked_whale

## Photo

![Gray's Beaked Whale](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/gray-s-beaked-whale/medium.jpg)

Photo: n_armstrong · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69430260

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/gray-s-beaked-whale?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).