Sperm Whale flukes and dives off the Kaikoura coast. South Island, New Zealand.
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), or cachalot, is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of genus Physeter. Mature males average 16 metres (52 ft) in length but some may reach metres (67 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal's length. Plunging to 2,250 metres (7,382 ft), it is the second deepest diving mammal, following only the Cuvier's beaked whale. The sperm whale's clicking vocalization, a form of echolocation and communication, may be as loud as 230 decibels underwater. It has the largest brain of any animal on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human's. Sperm whales can live for more than 60 years. The sperm whale can be found anywhere in the open ocean. Females and young males live together in groups while mature males live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to twenty years, and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of Orcas.
Size: 4920px × 3210px
Location: Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.
Photo credit: © Stephen Sykes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: canyon, dive, fin, fluke, fluking, island, kaikoura, macrocephalus, ocean, physeter, sea, south, sperm, tail, whale, zealand
