Pilot whales feed primarily on squid, but will also hunt large demersal fish such as cod and turbot.

Marine biologists have shed some light on the matter, suggesting that it is due to the mammals inner ear (their principal navigational sonar) being damaged from noise pollution in the ocean, such as from cargo ships or military exercises.

[7] There exist geographic forms of short-finned pilot whales off the east coast of Japan,[8] which comprise genetically isolated stocks.

[3] Evolution of Tappanaga, the endemic, larger form of short-finned pilots found in northern Japan, with similar characteristics to the whales found along Vancouver Island and northern USA coasts,[10] has indicated that the geniture of this form could be caused by the extinction of long-finned pilots in north Pacific in the 12th century, where Magondou, the smaller, southern type possibly filled the former niches of long-finned pilots, adapting and colonizing into colder waters.

[4] Studies of whales in the Atlantic showed much overlap in these characteristics between the species, making them clines instead of distinctive features.

Adult long-finned pilot whales reach a body length of approximately 6.5 m, with males being 1 m longer than females.

[17] Its population overlaps slightly with the long-finned pilot whale in the temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

Pilot whales are generally nomadic, but some populations stay year-round in places such as Hawaii and parts of California.

[3] Once commonly seen off of Southern California, short-finned pilot whales disappeared from the area after a strong El Niño year in the early 1980s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

When they reach the end of their dives, pilot whales will sprint, possibly to catch prey, and then make a few buzzes.

The animal's high metabolism possibly allows it to sprint at deep depths, which would also give it shorter diving periods than some other marine mammals.

[4] One sample of Newfoundland pilot whales found that the most common illness was an upper respiratory tract infection.

[27] After mating, a male pilot whale usually spends only a few months with a female, and an individual may sire several offspring in the same pod.

[3] Pilot whales emit echolocation clicks for foraging and whistles and burst pulses as social signals (e.g. to keep contact with members of their pod).

[39] To elude predators, long-finned pilot whales off the southern coast of Australia have been observed to mimic the calls of orcas while scavenging for food.

[3] When using magnetic fields for navigation, the whales have been suggested to get perplexed by geomagnetic anomalies or they may be following a sick member of their group that got stranded.

[4] Researchers from New Zealand have successfully used secondary social responses to keep a stranding pod of long-finned pilot whales from returning to the beach.

[45] In addition, the young members of the pod were taken offshore to buoys, and their distress calls lured the older whales back out to sea.

[45] In September 2022, nearly 200 pilot whales died after becoming stranded on Ocean Beach, part of Tasmania's west coast.

Long-finned pilot whales in the North and Baltic Seas are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

In the Faroe Islands, pilot whale hunting started at least in the 16th century,[4] and continued into modern times, with thousands being killed during the 1970s and 1980s.

[47][48] In other parts of the North Atlantic, such as Norway, West Greenland, Ireland and Cape Cod, pilot whales have also been hunted, but to a lesser extent.

[16] According to the IUCN the harvesting of this species for food in the Faroe Islands and Greenland has not resulted in any detectable declines in abundance.

Off the Faroes, France, the UK, and the eastern US, pilot whales were found to have been contaminated with high amounts of DDT and PCB.

[56] Because a whale's fat is contained in the layer of blubber beneath the skin, and the muscle is high in myoglobin, the meat is a dark shade of red.

[57] When grilled, the meat is slightly flaky and quite flavorful, somewhat gamey, though similar to a quality cut of beef, with distinct yet subtle undertones recalling its marine origin.

[56][57][58] In both Japan and the Faroe Islands, the meat is contaminated with mercury and cadmium, causing a health risk for those who frequently eat it, especially children and pregnant women.

[59] In November 2008, an article in New Scientist reported that research done on the Faroe Islands resulted in two chief medical officers recommending against the consumption of pilot whale meat, considering it to be too toxic.

Several pilot whales from southern California and Hawaii were taken into captivity during the 1960s and early 1970s,[63][64] two of which were placed at SeaWorld San Diego.

[65] In 1968, a pilot whale was captured, given the name Morgan, and trained by the U.S. Navy's Deep Ops to retrieve deeper-attached objects from the ocean floor.