Long-finned pilot whales are commonly seen in tight, social pods and sub-groups of 10 to 20 individuals. These animals are nocturnal and spend their daytime hours resting and travelling. They are likely to be more active and social during the night, when they feed. They are known to associate with a variety of other dolphin and whale species, and to communicate acoustically using a complex repertoire of sounds. 

The lifespan of pilot whales is 35 to 45 years for males and at least 60 years for females. Males become sexually mature at 12 to 13 years and the females at 8 years. Gestation lasts 15 months, and calving happens every 3 to 5 years, giving birth to a single calf during spring or summer. This is one of the longest known birth intervals of all cetaceans.

At birth, calves measure about 1.5 to 2 m and weigh about 80 kg. After 18 to 44 months, the calf stops nursing and is weaned by the cow. Older and/or non reproductive females help care for calves in the social group. 

Long-finned pilot whales can become entangled in fishing gear, especially driftnets as well as trawls and longlines. Hunting still occurs in the North Atlantic, especially in the Faroe Island, where the highly controversial and cruel drive fishery, called grindadràp, happens every year, killing off hundreds of individuals each time. The tight social structure makes this species particularly vulnerable to this practice. As a top predator, this species is subject to the accumulation of contaminants and pollutants, harming the immune and reproductive systems.