Quick answer
Key facts about sperm whale — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Extreme deep diving
Sperm whales hunt in darkness more than a kilometre down, holding breath for over an hour. Spermaceti organs in the huge head may aid echolocation or buoyancy control. Scars from giant squid tentacles are common on bulls.
Pod society and clicking
Females and young live in stable matrilineal pods, while mature males roam alone or in bachelor groups at higher latitudes. Coda clicks — patterned sequences — may function as clan identifiers across populations.
Historic whaling impact
Sperm whales were primary targets of industrial whaling for spermaceti oil and ambergris. Populations are recovering slowly in some oceans but remain Vulnerable. Moby-Dick immortalised the species in literature.
Modern threats
Ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, plastic ingestion, and underwater noise from sonar and shipping affect sperm whales today. Marine protected areas and shipping lane adjustments help, but deep-ocean monitoring remains difficult.