Our Animals > Sperm Whale
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The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Fun Facts

• They are the largest toothed whales.
• They range from 49 to 59 feet long.
• They can weigh between 35 and 45 tons.
• They are usually a dark, brownish grey, with light scratches, streak or spots. Their belly is a lighter grey and may have white spots.
• They have 18-25 large teeth in their lower jaw.
• Each of their teeth is 3 to 8 inches in length.
• They can dive to depths of 3,300 feet and can stay submerged for over an hour.
• They were popularized in Melville’s book Moby Dick.

Distribution

They are found in all oceans of the world. When they migrate they can usually be found in large groups close to the equator.

Food

They eat close to one ton of food a day. They mainly feed on medium-sized deep water squid, but they also feed fish, skate, octopus, and smaller squid.

Sound Production

Sperm whales use echolocation to catch their prey in the dark oceanic depths. Mothers also use it it keep track of their young calf when they are diving to hunt; a calf cannot dive very deeply because it has to breathe much more frequently than the mother does.

Social Structure

The bonds between the members of sperm whale pods are strong and long-lasting. The members of a pod protect the young, the sick and the injured. Groups of females with their young are common. This group structure allows a mother to dive very deeply to hunt while leaving her young calf, who is unable to dive very deeply, at the surface and protected by the pod.