For Hawaii’s short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), it’s all about squid. New estimates suggest that individual Hawaiian short-finned pilot whales eat between 82 and 202 squid per day. Drones help scientists assess the size of Hawaii’s short-finned pilot whales. They journeyed out into the Pacific Ocean and attached data-collecting tags with a detachable suction cup to eight short-finned pilot whales. “Short-finned pilot whales are fairly small and quick, so we really have to pick our moment, “ said Gough.