If you have read or heard about Moby Dick, you must be familiar with the sperm whale.
Here are a few interesting facts about them.
Fun Facts:
- Sperm whales have a waxy substance on their head called spermaceti, which is how this animal got its name. This wax is used in candles, oil lamps, and more.
- The sperm whales belong to the class Mammalia, and they are the largest of the toothed whales.
- The brain of sperm whales is the largest on our planet. It weighs up to 20 pounds.
- A female sperm whale would give birth every four to twenty years. The babies are referred to as calves. The female sperm whales are called cows.
- A mature male sperm whale, also referred to as a bull, can be up to 52 feet long. Some could reach a height of 68 ft. The average size of a newborn can be 13 ft. The length of the female, on average, is 36 ft.
- The life expectancy for sperm whales can be up to 70 years or plus.
- The head of the sperm whale is one-third of its length.
- A sperm whale is the loudest animal in the world and can produce sounds at 230 decibels.