Mammal · toothed whale

Sperm whale

Physeter macrocephalus

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic Found in all 5 oceans

All oceans, from the tropics to the edges of the ice; large males travel as far as the Arctic and Antarctic

Depth

From the surface to more than 2,000 m

Size

Up to 16 m (males), 11 m (females)

Diet

Mostly squid, also fish

Zone

Sunlit zone · 0 – 200 m

Key facts

• It has the largest brain in the animal kingdom: about 8 kg.
• Its echolocation clicks are among the most powerful sounds produced by any animal.
• Its head contains spermaceti, an oil involved in producing its clicks.
• Its hunting dives last 45 minutes on average, sometimes more than an hour.

Verified sources

1. Mass.gov - Sperm Whale
2. OBIS, Sperm whales

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In the same zone

OrcaOrcinus orca Cuvier’s beaked whaleZiphius cavirostris Southern elephant sealMirounga leonina Leatherback sea turtleDermochelys coriacea Emperor penguinAptenodytes forsteri Whale sharkRhincodon typus