Sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales, a group that includes belugas and narwhals. Sperm whales live in all oceans. Males grow about 60 feet (18 meters) long, and females grow to about 40 feet (12 meters). Only certain baleen whales, a group that has thin plates called baleen in the mouth rather than teeth, are larger.
Sperm whales range in color from brownish-black to dark gray. They have a low, thick hump on the back and a series of ridges between the hump and the tail. A sperm whale’s huge head makes up about a third of the total body length. The head is filled with spermaceti, an oily substance once widely used for making candles, and sperm oil, once used as a lubricant.
Sperm whales live in temperate and tropical waters. Mature males swim north or south to cooler waters in spring. Females and young whales stay in groups in the lower latitudes. The whales feed mainly on large squid. They often dive deeper than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) and can remain submerged for more than an hour. They breathe through a single blowhole (nostril) on the left front of the head.
Loading the player...Pygmy sperm whale
Sperm whales were hunted to near-extinction in the 1800’s and 1900’s, mainly for their meat and spermaceti. A waxy substance called ambergris sometimes forms in the whale’s intestines. It was once highly valued as a base for perfumes. The International Whaling Commission banned most sperm whale hunting in 1984.
