Mammals · Artiodactyla · Physeteridae
Physeter macrocephalus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
It has the largest brain of any known animal, weighing around 9.2 kg. It makes the deepest and longest dives of any marine mammal.
Weight
14 t – 63 t
Size
11 m – 20 m
Life expectancy
65 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Family group
Lives in small family groups with close bonds.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: Alaska Department of Fish and Game; MarineBio; NOAA Fisheries; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); A-Z Animals; Quark Expeditions; PMC (Italian coast life history study)
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 20 of 58.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Sperm Whale — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The sperm whale is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 15 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about sperm whale.
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the sperm whale.
Be the first to comment.
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
