Many people think the elephant is the largest animal on the planet, but that's not entirely true. While the elephant is the largest land animal, another creature rivals it in the water: the whale. In fact, the whale is not a fish, but a mammal. Moreover, it breathes air, just like land animals, and therefore can't stay underwater all the time. Occasionally, the whale must surface to take in more oxygen. The sperm whale is considered one of the largest whales.
Like all mammals, whales are born fully formed. As they mature a small whale calf is fed with milk, which, by the way, is much more nutritious than cow's milk, and therefore helps whales reach their large size. The downside of sperm whales is that they are practically helpless when they reach land, and most beachings end tragically.
The sperm whale is truly the king and ruler of the seas. Thanks to its enormous size, it the animal has virtually no enemies, with the exception of humans. Sperm whales range in length from 20 to 22 meters; by comparison, 18 elephants could easily fit on their backs. This is why many are interested in the question of what sperm whales eat.
Toothed whales
Toothed whales are one of the most common whale species on the planet. They are primarily small mammals that feed exclusively on other living creatures—in other words, they are carnivores. These mammals are small in size, with the exception of the sperm whale, which almost the same size as the largest blue whaleThe word "cachalot" comes from Portuguese and means "big head." The sperm whale is the only representative of its species and does indeed have a very large head. They have the following characteristics:
- They live mainly in herds of 80-100 animals and are considered to be very social animals.
- In and under water, sperm whales reach speeds of about 50 km/h.
- Although the sperm whale breathes through its lungs, it can dive to depths of up to 3,000 km. This ability is enabled by its subcutaneous fat, which protects the toothed whale from the cold and high pressure. This animal dives to such depths to feast on its favorite delicacy: giant squid.
Sperm whale diet
Daily nutrition consists of different products:
- various mollusks;
- octopuses;
- Favorite dish is giant squid.
Squid is the easiest prey for whales to feed on, as the prey is usually at least 15 meters long. These whales feed on fish, but not often, only if there's little choice. Fish consumption will account for about 5% of the total.
It's important to understand that the sperm whales, whose photos are presented in the article, dive very deep for a reason. They are not interested in food floating on the surface, for example. The whale won't even chase the squid that are on top, and descend to a depth of at least 500 meters after them. This behavior is caused by the fact that there are many competitors above, and the sperm whale is not accustomed to chasing food and sharing it with others.
Hunting
Sperm whales use ultrasonic echolocation to locate food. This hunting method is based on the fact that the sound emitted by the whale disturbs the giant mollusks. The spermaceti sac acts as an acoustic lens, helping the whale locate its prey. Let's return to the sperm whale's favorite delicacy: the giant squid.
To swallow the coveted prey, the whale will have to try hard, namely, fight with a huge opponent. Sperm whales and squids are almost equal in length., and very often in a fight, one will inevitably kill the other. The squid's tentacles usually leave huge scars on their bodies. Because of these scars, many animals swim with huge dents or cuts on their faces.
There's a known case of a nearly dead squid being pulled out of a sperm whale's stomach. It had latched onto the whale with its tentacles and become lodged in its throat. Incidentally, this squid weighed almost 200 kilograms.
Reproduction
Like humans, female sperm whales mature exactly one year earlier than males, and are ready to reproduce at age four. Males often remain away from the female for extended periods, only appearing at the time of mating. Males are polygamous and each whale can be supported by up to 15 females.The gestation period for a calf is approximately 18 months, and females can usually give birth at any time of year, with the exception of those in the Northern Hemisphere, which give birth between June and September. A calf is born weighing approximately 1 ton and begins nursing almost immediately.
History of origin
According to theory, more than 70–75 million years ago, the ancestors of modern sperm whales lived on land. Their bodies were covered in fur, and instead of today's fins, they had ordinary limbs. Gradually animals moved closer to the water, where they escaped the large number of predators and other animals. They then finally moved into the water, where they changed in size, lost their fur, and began to resemble modern whales.
Due to intensive hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries, whales became an endangered species, and a moratorium was soon imposed on their hunting, prohibiting their capture for any purpose. However, they remain endangered by the risk of collisions with passing ships, pollution of their habitat by oil refineries, or simply being washed ashore.
