The Whales
Sperm Whale
Our star species
The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and our star species!
Unlike other cetaceans, the blowhole (nostril) of the sperm whale is on the front left of the head. This means we can easily recognise sperm whales at sea, even at great distances, because when they breathe the blow is low and leans to the left. They are dark grey (they are lighter on the belly), have a compressed body and wrinkled skin. The head can make up more than a third of the body, and can be easily distinguished because the skin is not wrinkled.
The head holds “the spermaceti organ” and a series of associated structures with which the sperm whale produces sounds. The spermaceti is an oily substance and due to its texture, whalers thought it was sperm, giving the species its name!
WHY ARE THEY HERE?
Sperm whales are born in warm waters, such as off the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Females and juveniles remain in those waters year-round but males migrate towards polar waters (of both hemispheres) at the age of about 10. They begin the migration in groups, but become solitary as they reach the polar areas, and this is why only solitary sperm whales are found off Andenes. Although sperm whales in these waters are all adult males, they vary in size as some individuals are older (and larger) than others.
Because the Bleik Canyon is so close to shore, it is one of the only three locations in the world where adult male sperm whales can be observed from a whale watching platform. The Bleik Canyon reaches depths of over 2000 m and is ideal for sperm whales, who feed on deep water squid and fish. The deepest confirmed sperm whale dive is an impressive depth of 2250 m. Off Andenes, sperm whales typically dive at depths of between 400 and 800 m.
When can we see them?
They are here year-round! Since 1987, we have taken pictures of all the animals we encounter and so we know that some individuals stay in the area for days or weeks, while others seem to be passing by and we see them only once. Some animals are here in different years too, such as Glenn, an adult male sperm whale who was first seen in 1994 and has since been encountered hundreds of times.
Sperm Whale Fun Facts
The head of the sperm whale makes up about one-third of its entire body length, it can be over 5 m long! It not only holds a massive nose that evolved to produce the loudest sound in the animal kingdom, but also holds the largest brain in the animal kingdom, with an impressive weight of 9 kg!
What can we see?
Off Andenes, sperm whales spend most of their time feeding at great depths, being underwater for about 30 min at a time. They stay to the surface for about 8 min, time they use to replenish their oxygen storage and get ready for the next dive. While at the surface, they breathe slowly, 3 or 4 times per minute and, before diving, they exhale a last strong breath (blow) and lift their tail flukes, giving you the opportunity to take the iconic picture before it disappears in the depths.
Although they are almost always alone, they occasionally can be seen in pairs.