Sperm whales (particularly adult males) can be found in all of the world’s major oceans, from the warm tropical climates in and around the equator to the northern and southern polar hemispheres. Young sperm whales generally stay close to their mothers until they reach maturity, and then they will go and venture out on their own.
Unlike adult male sperm whales, the female sperm whales and their calves prefer staying warm climates around the equator throughout the year. The adult male sperm whales travel to the colder climates during the off-season and return to the warmer climates during the mating season, which occurs during the colder winter months.
In fact, some male sperm whales can travel throughout all of the world’s major oceans over the course of their 70-year lifespan, allowing them to travel the world before they die.
Male sperm whales are also known to be solitary animals, often traveling alone or in small groups where they may form a loose bond with another male. In addition to traveling between warm and cold climates, sperm whales are also among the deepest diving species of all cetaceans.
During deep dives, sperm whales can dive to depths more than 3,000 ft. to look for giant squid and octopus to eat. Some sperm whales can even be found with marks and scars around their head from fights with large squid that tried to avoid being eaten by latching onto the whale’s head.
Being equipped with echolocation allows the sperm whale to use sound to navigate the ocean and search for prey, which is extremely important since these marine mammals often hunt in complete darkness. This makes echolocation essential for their survival and ability to obtain adequate food for their diet.
In fact, these marine mammals dive so deep that it has been difficult for researchers to observe or obtain footage of the exact hunting methods used by sperm whales.
In addition to traveling the world and diving to depths over 3,000 ft. these marine mammals are the largest animals within the toothed whale family and have the biggest brain of all living animals. At full maturity, the male sperm whale can reach lengths over 65 ft. long and weigh 45 tons when fully matured. Female sperm whales, on the other hand, measure 1/2 to 1/3 the size of their male counterparts.
Note: To use a comparison to show you just how big the sperm whale is, as stated early reaching lengths of up to 67 ft. the sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whale family and is significantly larger than the second-largest toothed whale, Baird’s beaked whale, which can reach lengths of 40+ ft. when fully matured. That’s a difference of over 20 ft. long!
Solitary lifestyle
While not always the case, it seems as though larger marine mammals such as male sperm whales tend to lead a more solitary lifestyle when compared to smaller cetacea like dolphins and porpoises. As stated earlier, they often travel alone when mating season is not in session and can wander off to various locations of their choosing.
In some cases, a male sperm whale may choose to form a bond with another male whale and form a small pod; however, the length of time that the relationship/pod lasts can vary from one male to the next.
Although the reason for their solitary lifestyle is unknown, it is possible that they do not need to rely on large groups to survive or protect themselves since they are fairly large and robust in size. After all, an adult male can reach lengths over 67 ft. and a weight of 45 tons (not common).
Once fully grown, a male sperm whale is largely protected by its size alone, which is likely to deter most would-be predators. In fact, the only known predators of the sperm whale are a pack of hungry killer whales and potentially large sharks, which may try to prey on young whales since they are easier to catch.
Motherly protection
While male sperm whales are fairly solitary, the female sperm whales can often be seen grouped with other females, and they’re young. As the males go off to wander the oceans, the females stay together to protect their young from potential predators (such as sharks) and nurture them to grow up to be strong in big.
During the first few years of birth, the baby whales are nurtured and cared for by being fed milk which can last for 1 1/2 – 4 years or more depending on the emotional bond they have with their mother.
When the young male whales reach the ages 4 – 21, they choose to leave their pod and go off independently. The young female whales continue to maintain relationships with their local pods and, upon sexual maturity, may begin mating and reproducing offspring of their own.
To protect their young from potential threats, the adult females may form a circle around the child with their heads facing the child and their flukes facing the outside circle. This formation is used as a form of defense as the flukes are powerful enough to immobilize or even kill a predator if they are struck hard enough.
In some cases, the female whales may also form an overwatch position where their flukes are pointed in towards the child, and their heads are facing the outside of the circle.
As far as pods/groups go, female sperm whales may form 6 – 10 members. However, larger variations may occur in some pods containing 20 or more members. Unlike other cetacea, however, female sperm whales do not appear to show a preference for maintaining relationships with pod members within their families.
Once a female sperm whale becomes part of a pod and spends several years together with its pod members, they rarely leave to join a new pod.