0 m ) ▁and ▁last ▁around ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes . 9 ▁When ▁for aging , ▁a ▁pod ▁may ▁spread ▁out ▁up ▁to ▁ 8 0 0 ▁m ▁( half - mile ) ▁to ▁find ▁food . 3 ▁Pil ot ▁wh ales ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁' che et ah s ▁of ▁the ▁deep ' ▁for ▁the ▁high - speed ▁purs uits ▁of ▁squ id ▁at ▁depth s ▁of ▁hundreds ▁of ▁meters . ▁ ▁Population ▁Status ▁The ▁total ▁of ▁all ▁available ▁abund ance ▁estimates ▁for ▁Short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁is ▁approximately ▁ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁individuals , ▁but ▁populations ▁vary ▁world wide , ▁and ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁species ' ▁range ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁survey ed , ▁therefore ▁actual ▁abund ance ▁could ▁be ▁consider ably ▁greater ▁than ▁this . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁western ▁Pacific , ▁population ▁estimates ▁range ▁from ▁ 5 , 3 0 0 ▁individuals ▁in ▁Northern ▁Japan ▁to ▁ 5 3 , 6 0 8 ▁in ▁Southern ▁Japan . ▁▁ 7 , 7 0 0 ▁individuals ▁are ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁Sul u ▁Sea ▁( Ph ili pp ines ), ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁tropical ▁Pacific ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁estimate ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁gives ▁ 5 8 9 , 0 0 0 ▁individuals . ▁ ▁The ▁resident ▁population ▁in ▁T ener ife , ▁Spain , ▁is ▁estimated ▁at ▁only ▁ 3 5 0 ▁individuals . ▁ ▁Three ▁stock s ▁of ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁are ▁recognized ▁in ▁U