Sperm whale location

Sperm whale , Physeter catodon , also called cachalot , the largest of the toothed whales , easily recognized by its enormous square head and narrow lower jaw. The sperm whale is dark blue-gray or brownish, with white patches on the belly. It is thickset and has small paddlelike flippers and a series of rounded humps on its back. Males attain a maximum length of about 19 metres 62 feet and females about 12 metres 39 feet. Sperm whales are deep divers, commonly reaching a depth of about metres 1, feet , and have been found tangled in cables more than 1, metres 3, feet below the surface. It is not uncommon for sperm whales to dive for an hour or more and then spend about 10 minutes at the surface breathing once every 10 seconds.

Sperm whales Physeter catodon , or cachalots, are the largest of the toothed whales , with males up to 19 meters 62 feet long—more than five times the length of a large elephant —and females up to 12 meters 39 feet in length. They are easily recognized by their enormous square head and narrow lower jaw. As far as we can tell, Moby Dick was the only sperm whale that delivered a unique brand of karmic justice to one-legged sea captains bent on vengeance. Are they called sperm whales because their body shape is similar to that of male sex cells, or is there another reason? The head of the sperm whale contains an enormous fluid-filled organ which whalers called the case. During whale harvests, this organ, now called the spermaceti organ, was discovered to contain a white liquid that whalers mistook for the sperm of the whale.

In Herman Melville's classic novel, a Sperm whale called Moby Dick is protrayed as an evil monster which sinks ships and kills sailors. This is the reputation these whales have gotten throughout the years, perhaps because of their large size and huge teeth. We now know that Sperm whales are not dangerous to people. They do not break ships apart and swallow sailors whole. In fact, we know a lot about what Sperm whales don't do--but not very much else.

The sperm whale has many distinctive characteristics that differ from the other notable whale species. In fact, the sperm whale is actually in an entirely different family than the other popular whale species. This unique animal is the largest of the toothed whales, and its day-to-day life will simply captivate you. Read on to learn about the sperm whale. The sperm whale is a large, dark grey marine mammal with a pseudo-torpedo shaped body.