"The short-finned pilot whale is one of two species of the genus Globicephala living in North American waters, mostly in tropical to temperate waters of the continental shelf. ""Globicephala"" translates directly to the most prominent characteristic of the genus, its round head. Short-finned pilot whales travel in coordinated pods of about 25 individuals. These may be groups of closely related females of all ages and their offspring, plus one or a few adult males. In tropical waters, pods may join together to form large herds, and are sometimes seen ""logging,"" a behavior in which they all face the same direction and bob like floating logs. Presumably they are resting.  Males reach reproductive age at 13 and females at about 8 years. The average life span is about 45 years for males and 55 years for females. One unexplained phenomenon is that groups of these whales sometimes come ashore, strand, and die. Such strandings are relatively common on beaches in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico"

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Mammal Species of the World