Sperm Whale

The sperm whale is the largest toothed animal on the planet. The largest recorded sperm whale measured almost 26 metres. Sperm whales have enormous heads, which make up as much as one third of their body length. The brain of a mature male weighs up to 7 kilograms, although it is not large in proportion to the whales size. Through an S-shaped blowhole on top of the head, sperm whales release forward-directed spouts of vapour that can be clearly heard from miles away. Their lower jaws contain 2026 pairs of conical teeth, each weighing up to one kilogram, although the reason for having teeth is not entirely clear, as well-fed sperm whales have also been found to be completely toothless. They are among the deepest-diving mammals on the planet. Their usual dives reach depths of around 400 metres and last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Their diet includes various marine animals, especially squid, cuttlefish, octopuses and others.