# What Do Sperm Whales Eat?

> What sperm whales eat: Carnivore — squid, deep-sea fish, and occasional sharks, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Deep offshore waters worldwide; males range into polar seas.

- **Species:** Sperm Whale (*Physeter macrocephalus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Carnivore — squid, deep-sea fish, and occasional sharks
- **Habitat:** Deep offshore waters worldwide; males range into polar seas
- **Lifespan:** 60–70 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 35 km/h (22 mph) swimming
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sperm-whale/what-do-sperm-whale-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sperm-whale/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on Earth, with males reaching 16–20 m (52–66 ft) and over 50 tonnes. Famous for deep dives exceeding 2,000 m hunting giant squid, it has the largest brain of any animal and lives in social female-led pods across the world's oceans.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## 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.

## Help protect the Sperm Whale

Sperm whales face ship strikes, entanglement, and noise in the deep ocean habitats they need to feed.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sperm-whale/what-do-sperm-whale-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.