Illustration of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
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The pace exhausted the crew, but when a lookout spotted a shoal of sperm whales on the morning of November 20, the sailors lowered and manned the whale boats in pursuit nonetheless.
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Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Dominica is the only nation where sperm whales live year-round, though the best times for sightings are between November and March.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
According to the wildlife charity (WDC), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, orcas, Australian humpback dolphins and sperm whales have all been observed carrying dead calves.
—Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Each clan of sperm whales uses its own set of clicking sounds to communicate.
—The Atlantic Science Desk, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2024
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Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Dominica is the only nation where sperm whales live year-round, though the best times for sightings are between November and March.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
According to the wildlife charity (WDC), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, orcas, Australian humpback dolphins and sperm whales have all been observed carrying dead calves.
—Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Each clan of sperm whales uses its own set of clicking sounds to communicate.
—The Atlantic Science Desk, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2024
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“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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