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SPERM WHALE

SCIENTIFIC NAME - Physeter from the greek physao "blow", catodon from the greek cata "low" and odon "tooth"; so "blower with teeth only on the lower jaw".
FAMILY - Physeteridae
DIMENSIONS - The female is smaller of the male, the maximum length 18.3 mt, weight 57 t.
ASPECT - Squared and enormous Head (1/3 of the entire body) compressed laterally; long and thin jaw under the head; airhole in position advanced on the top of the rostrum a little on the left; triangular low dorsal fin with dulled apex; dorsal crest with hunchbacks; wide tail much and triangular one; short and increased pectoral fins. 
SKIN and COLORATION - Wrinkled and waved, grey dark with tawny shadings, rare white spots on the body (rarest exemplary albinos that have inspired the "Moby Dick") white contour of the mouth.
LONGEVITY - Until 70 years.
REPRODUCTION - No migrations, the conceivment happens between half winter and half summer and the birth of the puppy after approximately 15 months in spring-summer. The sociality of the species manifest during the delivery, moment in which all the members of the branch collaborate. At the birth the puppy measure approximately 4 mt and hung approximately 600 Kg. 
TEETH - Approximately 50 of the weight 500 gr. and high 25 cm.
BREATH - In ahead and on the left, low and lacking in a very precise shape.  
SOUNDS - The vocalizations are few produce a sound to impulses (as an hammer) when it is dipped.
FEEDING - Fish and squids constitute the diet of the sperm whale in different percentages to second of the seas in which feeds; the greatest predator of the earth engages true and own battles with the Architeuthis (the giant squid that can catch up the 15-20 mt. of length), but normally it is pleased of preys under the meter of length. On the hunting techniques supposition are made by now of sure is known only that the preys are searched until -2000 mt of depth and beyond; there's who imagines a static predatoran attending that preys grazes it jaw; who thinks instead that the sperm whale casts on the preys attracted from their flares; who thinks that the preys are stunned with strong sonorous emissions; who assumes that the preys come devoured, and who that comes aspired, in such case the teeth would only serve to immobilize  (Vd. Feeding).
HABITAT - Cetacean that is usual to swim in overhanging waters the continental escarpment habitat of its preys.
SWIM - Swims habitually rather slow to approximately 7km/h (4 nodes) but for short drawn catches up the maximum speed of 22 Km/h (15 nodes), often is firm. Given the nature of predator of the abysses in surface is rested and taken breath for the successive immersion; this will be easy evident extraction of the tail. In immersion the dowries of the sperm whale are shown with advanced depths to i -2000 mt and durations of apnea beyond the 2 hours.  

JUMPS - Enough frequent, very spectacular with emersion of nearly all body, with return on a flank or also of head.
MIGRATIONS - Migrations in winter in moderated and tropical waters while in summer migrates towards cold zones as the sub-polar. The males and the females with the puppy often complete separated migratory movements.
SOCIALITY - Very social odontocet, stretches to form groups of two types, first of bachelor males (of ransom and age similar), the second of females with puppies (in number often around to the 20 exemplary or more); in other cases the large males are solitary. The permanence of the prole for much time in the group (in order always in the females and until the maturity for the males), favors stable ties and facility of learning. The cooperation makes part of the instinct of branch of the sperm whale and manifest for example in breast-feeding in common.
TEMPERAMENT - Indifferent to the man and the boats if annoyed can become aggressive, curious and confiding puppies that stretch sometimes to get close to the boats for observing.
DANGER and PREDATORY - Sometimes attacks from part of killer whales (in Arctic waters) to puppies and females (is assumed also from part of large sharks), the great males are practically immune from the predation; often they die for intrapment in deriving networks. Sometimes victim also of collectives beachings.
SPECIES DIFFUSION - It's numerically and geographically the most diffuse Odontocet, the world-wide population is estimated in 1.900.000 exemplary; disseminated in the seas of the austral hemisphere (beyond 780.000), in the northern Pacific (approximately 930.000) and in the northern Atlantic (approximately 190.000). In the Mediterranean numerous but in decrease, present above all to the West.
 
 
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