Sperm Whale Diving and Hunting Techniques

The Sperm Whale's Extreme Diving Adventures

The sperm whale can hold one breath for over an hour and plunge to depths of around 2000 meters. Its enormous head and massive nose house the loudest animal sound on record. It feeds on squid and does this all day long, it also encounters deep-sea darkness, frigid temperatures, and crushing pressures.

The Physiology of Extreme Diving

The sperm whale is a physics-defying biological marvel. Research suggests its diving cycle can last up to 90 minutes and consist of nearly a 2km descent, a hunt, and a return to the surface. The whale's breath is a remarkably efficient process, allowing it to remain submerged and hunt. Its massive head provides buoyancy and houses the melon, a structure that produces clicks allowing it to echolocate in the dark. These clicks, the loudest animal sounds, can travel for many miles underwater, it "follows the echoes to a squid in the dark."

Diving Depths and Extreme Conditions

The hunting grounds of sperm whales are the deep dark trenches of the world’s oceans. That is as scary as it is lonely. Through echolocation the whale searches for food and follows clues of where squid could be in the darkness. A third of the body is head and most of that is the nose. The average temperature in the depths it dives is approximately 42 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also impossible to see in such depths, making the sperm whales' echolocation skills valuable to them.

Echolocation: The Submarine Search

Down in the deep, the whale clicks to navigate attacks its prey - its one item on the menu. The clicks are the loudest animal sounds made.On the hunt, the sperm whale sends out a sonic blast and listens for the echo to reveal the location of squid. The whale's brain interprets these echoes, forming a mental map of the surrounding area. It's a tracking process that is not only remarkable but also indispensable for survival at such depths.

The Hunts and Feeding Patterns

Hunting is all the whales do — it dives for up to 90 minutes. The diet of sperm whales consists almost entirely of squid and in total darkness. A sperm whale exceeds the depth of 2500 meters to hunt. It uses suction to draw the squid into its mouth, while its sharp and strong teeth keep it from escaping. It can't chew, though.