Andrew's beaked whales are very difficult to identify at sea,
and even stranded animals can be mistaken for the Hubbs' beaked whale, which has almost the same skin colour and bone structure. Scientists know little about the Andrew's beaked whales because they only have less than 30 strandings to go by.

These animals have dark blue-black coloured bodies with white scratches and scars all over them. Their short thick beak is white, and the males have wide flat teeth on the top jaw of their arched mouthline. These teeth can be seen sticking out of the mouth
in adult males, though they do not grow in the mouths of females or in young Andrew's beaked whales.

This species of beaked whale has a very small dorsal fin which can have a pointed or rounded tip.