Gervais' beaked whale  (Mesoplodon europaeus)

The main threats to Gervais' beaked whale are accidental entanglement in gillnets and acoustic trauma following military noise pollution underwater (1). In the mid to late 1980s, several mass strandings were thought to be associated with naval activities around the Canary Islands. Later, between 1992 and 1998, 28 Gervais' beaked whales were stranded along the US coast between Florida and Massachusetts, followed by more mass strandings in September 2002 after NATO tested low frequency sonar (7).

There are no special conservation plans for this species, although trade in this species is limited by CITES around the world and prohibited in Europe.