Sperm Whale: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Whale Week · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Sperm whales fire clicks that reach 236 decibels, the loudest sound any animal produces.
2. No animal, living or extinct, is known to have a bigger brain than the sperm whale. It weighs over five times as much as ours.
3. Sperm whales can reach 2,250 m deep and stay down up to 120 minutes, though most dives go to about 400 m for 35 minutes.
4. A few squid beaks reach the sperm whale's hindgut and can trigger ambergris, a waxy substance still prized in perfume.
5. Female sperm whales give birth only every four to twenty years, then look after each calf for more than a decade.

The quiz

1. How loud are sperm whale clicks?

• 236 decibels (correct)
• 36 decibels
• 96 decibels
• 136 decibels

Their clicks reach 236 decibels, the loudest sound any animal produces.

2. How does a sperm whale's brain compare with a human's?

• About the same weight
• Half the weight
• More than five times heavier (correct)
• Twice as heavy

No known animal has a bigger brain; it weighs over five times as much as a human's.

3. How long can a deep sperm whale dive last?

• Up to 5 minutes
• Up to 20 minutes
• Up to 12 hours
• Up to 120 minutes (correct)

Its deepest dives reach 2,250 m and last up to 120 minutes.

4. What can squid beaks in a sperm whale's hindgut help form?

• Spermaceti
• Ambergris (correct)
• Coral
• Pearls

Squid beaks in the hindgut can trigger ambergris, prized in perfume.

5. How often do female sperm whales give birth?

• Every four to twenty years (correct)
• Every year
• Every two years
• Every month

Females give birth only every four to twenty years.

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