Length: 60 to 65 feet (male)
25 to 40 feet (female)
Weight: 45 to 70 tons (male)
15 to 20 tons (female)
Number of Young: 1
Home: All of the World's oceans
When the enormous sperm whale rises from the water, there's no mistaking that it's one of the largest creatures in the sea. Its enormous head takes up a third of the length of its body, which narrows down to a tail fin. The whale has between 36 and 60 teeth, and some are over 8 inches long!
Although some males wander into polar seas, sperm whales generally prefer warmer waters. They live in small groups and swim the ocean in search of cutterfish and squid, their main source of food. They can dive to depths of at least 4000 feet to find their favorite food.
Male sperm whales do not mate until they are about 30 years old. Females mate when they are about 9 years old and give birth to a calf every 3 to 5 years. Newborn sperm whales average about 13 feet in length and are weaned after 1 to 2 years.
The whale that Herman Melville wrote about in his book Moby Dick was a white sperm whale. This book describes the cruel hunting of whales during the 1800's. Sperm whales were hunted for the thick layer of fat underneath their skin. This fat made oil that was used as fuel for lamps. They were also hunted for a waxy substance found in their bodies that was used to make candles. The International Whaling Commission outlawed all whale hunting in 1986 and the whale population is slowly increasing.
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