The pygmy beaked whale is a small beaked whale known from few records. Recorded groups are small, and some include a calf.
It has a spindle-shaped body, dark above and lighter underneath. Its short beak has a dark tip, and its dorsal fin sits toward the rear of the body.
In the few known observations, groups commonly contain two or three animals; groups of two adults with a calf have also been reported.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.