text: sperm whale the sperm whale ( physeter macrocephalus ) , or cachalot , is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator . it is the only living member of genus physeter , and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family , along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus kogia . mature males average 16 metres ( 52 ft ) in length but some may reach 20 . 5 metres ( 67 ft ) , with the head representing up to one - third of the animal 's length . to 2 , 250 metres ( 7 , 382 ft ) , it is the second deepest diving mammal , following only the cuvier 's beaked whale . the sperm whale 's clicking vocalization , a form of echolocation and communication , may be as loud as 230 decibels ( re 1 µpa at 1 m ) underwater . it has the largest brain of any animal on earth , more than five times heavier than a human 's . sperm whales can live for more than 60 years . the sperm whale can be found anywhere in the open ocean . females and young males live together in groups while mature males live solitary lives outside of the mating season . the females cooperate to protect and nurse their young . females give birth every four to twenty years , and care for the calves for more than a decade . a mature sperm whale has few natural predators , although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of orcas . from the early eighteenth century through the late 20th , the species was a prime target of whalers . the head of the whale contains a liquid wax called spermaceti , from which the whale derives its name . spermaceti was used in lubricants , oil lamps , and candles . ambergris , a waste product from its digestive system , is still used as a fixative in perfumes . occasionally the sperm whale 's great size allowed it to defend itself effectively against whalers . the species is now protected by a whaling moratorium , and is currently listed as vulnerable by the international union for the conservation of nature and natural resources ( iucn ) . taxonomy and naming etymology the name sperm whale is a clip of spermaceti whale . spermaceti , originally mistakenly identified as the whales ' semen , is the semi - liquid , waxy substance found within the whale 's head ( see below ) . the sperm whale is also known as the " cachalot " , which is thought to derive from the archaic french for " tooth " or " big teeth " , as preserved for example in in the gascon dialect ( a word of either romance or basque origin ) . the etymological dictionary of says the origin is uncertain , but it suggests that it comes from the vulgar latin , plural of , " sword hilt " . the word cachalot came to english via french from spanish or portuguese , perhaps from galician / portuguese , " big head " . the term is retained in the russian word for the animal , ( ) , as well as in many other languages . the scientific genus name physeter comes from greek ( ) , meaning " blowpipe , blowhole ( of a whale ) " , or – as a pars pro toto – " whale " . the specific name macrocephalus is latinized from the greek ( , meaning " big - headed " ) , from makros ( , " large " ) + ( , " head " ) . its synonymous specific name catodon means " down - tooth " , from the greek elements cat ( a ) - ( " below " ) and ( " tooth " ) ; so named because it has visible teeth only in its lower jaw . ( see : teeth ) another synonym ( " australasian " ) was applied to sperm whales in the southern hemisphere . taxonomy the sperm whale belongs to the order cetartiodactyla , the order containing all cetaceans and even - toed ungulates . it is a member of the unranked clade cetacea , with all the whales , dolphins , and porpoises , and further classified into odontoceti , containing all the toothed whales and dolphins . it is the sole extant species of its genus , physeter , in the family physeteridae . two species of the related extant genus kogia , the pygmy sperm whale kogia breviceps and the dwarf sperm whale k. simus , are placed either in this family or in the family kogiidae . in some taxonomic schemes the families kogiidae and physeteridae are combined as the superfamily physeteroidea ( see the separate entry on the sperm whale family ) . the sperm whale is one of the species originally described by linnaeus in 1758 in his eighteenth century work , systema naturae . he recognised four species in the genus physeter . experts soon realised that just one such species exists , although there has been debate about whether this should be named p. catodon or p. macrocephalus , two of the names used by linnaeus . both names are still used , although most recent authors now accept macrocephalus as the valid name , limiting catodon 's status to a lesser synonym . biology external appearance the sperm whale is the largest toothed whale , with adult males measuring up to 20 . 5 metres ( 67 ft ) long and weighing up to 57 , 000 kilograms ( 56 long tons ; 63 short tons ) . by contrast , the second largest toothed whale , baird 's whale measures 12 . 8 metres ( 42 ft ) and weighs up to 15 short tons ( 14 , 000 kg ) . the nantucket whaling museum has a 5 . 5 metres ( 18 ft ) -long jawbone . the museum claims that this individual was 24 metres ( 80 ft ) long ; the whale that sank the essex ( one of the incidents behind moby - dick ) was claimed to be 26 metres ( 85 ft ) . a similar size is reported from a jawbone from the british natural history museum . a 67 - foot specimen is reported from a soviet whaling fleet near the kurile islands in 1950 . there is disagreement on the claims of adult males approaching or exceeding 24 metres ( 80 ft ) in length . extensive whaling may have decreased their size , as males were highly sought , primarily after world war ii . today , males do not usually exceed 18 . 3 metres ( 60 ft ) in length or 51 , 000 kilograms ( 50 long tons ; 56 short tons ) in weight . another view holds that exploitation by had virtually no effect on the size of the bull sperm whales , and their size may have actually increased in current times on the basis of density dependent effects . old males taken at solander islands were recorded to be extremely large and unusually rich in . it is among the most sexually dimorphic of all cetaceans . at birth both sexes are about the same size , but mature males are typically 30 % to 50 % longer and three times as massive as females . the sperm whale 's unique body is unlikely to be confused with any other species . the sperm whale 's distinctive shape comes from its very large , block - shaped head , which can be one - quarter to one - third of the animal 's length . the s - shaped blowhole is located very close to the front of the head and shifted to the whale 's left . this gives rise to a distinctive bushy , forward - angled spray . the sperm whale 's flukes ( tail lobes ) are triangular and very thick . proportionally , they are larger than that of any other cetacean , and are very flexible . the whale lifts its flukes high out of the water as it begins a feeding dive . it has a series of ridges on the back 's caudal third instead of a dorsal fin . the largest ridge was called the ' hump ' by whalers , and can be mistaken for a dorsal fin because of its shape and size . in contrast to the smooth skin of most large whales , its back skin is usually wrinkly and has been likened to a prune by whale - watching enthusiasts . have been reported . skeleton the ribs are bound to the spine by flexible cartilage , which allows the ribcage to collapse rather than snap under high pressure . while sperm whales are well adapted to diving , repeated dives to great depths have long - term effects . bones show the same pitting that signals decompression sickness in humans . older skeletons showed the most extensive pitting , whereas calves showed no damage . this damage may indicate that sperm whales are susceptible to decompression sickness , and sudden surfacing could be lethal to them . like all cetaceans , the spine of the sperm whale has reduced joints , of which the remnants are modified and are positioned higher on the vertebral dorsal spinous process , hugging it laterally , to prevent extensive lateral bending and facilitate more dorso - ventral bending . these evolutionary modifications make the spine more flexible but weaker than the spines of terrestrial vertebrates . as with other toothed whales , the skull of the sperm whale is asymmetrical so as to aid echolocation . sound waves that strike the whale from different directions will not be channeled in the same way . within the basin of the cranium , the openings of the bony narial tubes ( from which the nasal passages spring ) are skewed towards the left side of the skull . jaws and teeth the sperm whale 's lower jaw is very narrow and underslung . the sperm whale has 18 to 26 teeth on each side of its lower jaw which fit into sockets in the upper jaw . the teeth are cone - shaped and weigh up to 1 kilogram ( 2 . 2 lb ) each . the teeth are functional , but do not appear to be necessary for capturing or eating squid , as well - fed animals have been found without teeth or even with deformed jaws . one hypothesis is that the teeth are used in aggression between males . mature males often show scars which seem to be caused by the teeth . rudimentary teeth are also present in the upper jaw , but these rarely emerge into the mouth . analyzing the teeth is the preferred method for determining a whale 's age . like the age - rings in a tree , the teeth build distinct layers of cementum and dentine as they grow . brain the brain is the largest known of any modern or extinct animal , weighing on average about 7 . 8 kilograms ( 17 lb ) , more than five times heavier than a human 's , and has a volume of about 8 , 000 cm3 . although larger brains generally correlate with higher intelligence , it is not the only factor . elephants and dolphins also have larger brains than humans . the sperm whale has a lower encephalization quotient than many other whale and dolphin species , lower than that of non - human anthropoid apes , and much lower than humans ' . the sperm whale 's cerebrum is the largest in all , both in absolute and relative terms . the olfactory system is reduced , suggesting that the sperm whale has a poor sense of taste and smell . by contrast , the auditory system is enlarged . the pyramidal tract is poorly developed , reflecting the reduction of its limbs . biological systems the sperm whale respiratory system has adapted to cope with drastic pressure changes when diving . the flexible ribcage allows lung collapse , reducing nitrogen intake , and metabolism can decrease to conserve oxygen . between dives , the sperm whale surfaces to breathe for about eight minutes before diving again . odontoceti ( toothed whales ) breathe air at the surface through a single , s - shaped blowhole , which is extremely skewed to the left . sperm whales spout ( breathe ) 3 – 5 times per minute at rest , increasing to 6 – 7 times per minute after a dive . the blow is a noisy , single stream that rises up to 2 metres ( 6 . 6 ft ) or more above the surface and points forward and left at a 45 ° angle . on average , females and juveniles blow every 12 . 5 seconds before dives , while large males blow every 17 . 5 seconds before dives . a sperm whale killed 160 km ( 100 mi ) south of durban , south africa after a 1 - hour , 50 - minute dive was found with two dogfish ( sp . ) , usually found at the sea floor , in its belly . the sperm whale has the longest intestinal system in the world , exceeding 300 m in larger specimens . similar to ruminants the sperm whale has four stomachs . the first secretes no gastric juices and has very thick muscular walls to crush the food ( since whales cannot chew ) and resist the claw and sucker attacks of swallowed squid . the second stomach is larger and is where digestion takes place . squid beaks accumulate in the second stomach – as many as 18 , 000 have been found in some dissected specimens . most squid beaks are vomited by the whale , but some occasionally make it to the hindgut . such beaks precipitate the formation of ambergris . in 1959 , the heart of a 22 metric tons ( 24 short tons ) male taken by whalers was measured to be 116 kilograms ( 256 lb ) , about 0 . 5 % of its total mass . the circulatory system has a number of specific adaptations for the aquatic environment . the diameter of the aortic arch increases as it leaves the heart . this bulbous expansion acts as a , ensuring a steady blood flow as the heart rate slows during diving . the arteries that leave the aortic arch are positioned symmetrically . there is no artery . there is no direct connection between the internal carotid artery and the vessels of the brain . their circulatory system has adapted to dive at great depths , as much as 2 , 250 metres ( 7 , 382 ft ) . myoglobin , which stores oxygen in muscle tissue , is much more abundant than in terrestrial animals . the blood has a high density of red blood cells , which contain oxygen - carrying haemoglobin . the oxygenated blood can be directed towards only the brain and other essential organs when oxygen levels deplete . the spermaceti organ may also play a role by adjusting buoyancy ( see below ) . the arterial retia mirabilia are extraordinarily well - developed . the complex arterial retia mirabilia of the sperm whale are more extensive and larger than those of any other cetacean . senses spermaceti organ and melon atop the whale 's skull is positioned a large complex of organs filled with a liquid mixture of fats and waxes called spermaceti . the purpose of this complex is to generate powerful and focused clicking sounds , which the sperm whale uses for echolocation and communication . the spermaceti organ is like a large barrel of spermaceti . its surrounding wall , known as the case , is extremely tough and fibrous . the case can hold within it up to 1 , 900 litres of spermaceti . it is proportionately larger in males . this oil is a mixture of triglycerides and wax esters . the proportion of wax esters in the spermaceti organ increases with the age of the whale : 38 – 51 % in calves , 58 – 87 % in adult females , and 71 – 94 % in adult males . the spermaceti at the core of the organ has a higher wax content than the outer areas . the speed of sound in spermaceti is 2 , 684 m / s ( at 40 khz , 36 ° c ) , making it nearly twice as fast as in the oil in a dolphin 's melon . below the spermaceti organ lies the " junk " which consists of compartments of spermaceti separated by cartilage . it is analogous to the melon found in other toothed whales . the structure of the junk redistributes physical stress across the skull and may have evolved to protect the head during ramming . running through the head are two air passages . the left passage runs alongside the spermaceti organ and goes directly to the blowhole , whilst the right passage runs underneath the spermaceti organ and passes air through a pair of phonic lips and into the distal sac at the very front of the nose . the distal sac is connected to the blowhole and the terminus of the left passage . when the whale is submerged , it can close the blowhole , and air that passes through the phonic lips can circulate back to the lungs . the sperm whale , unlike other odontocetes , has only one pair of phonic lips , whereas all other toothed whales have two , and it is located at the front of the nose instead of behind the melon . at the posterior end of this spermaceti complex is the frontal sac , which covers the concave surface of the cranium . the posterior wall of the frontal sac is covered with fluid – filled knobs , which are about 4 – 13 mm in diameter and separated by narrow grooves . the anterior wall is smooth . the knobbly surface reflects sound waves that come through the spermaceti organ from the phonic lips . the grooves between the knobs trap a film of air that is consistent whatever the orientation or depth of the whale , making it an excellent sound mirror . the spermaceti organs may also help adjust the whale 's buoyancy . it is hypothesized that before the whale dives , cold water enters the organ , and it is likely that the blood vessels constrict , reducing blood flow , and , hence , temperature . the wax therefore solidifies and reduces in volume . the increase in specific density generates a down force of about 392 newtons ( 88 lbf ) and allows the whale to dive with less effort . during the hunt , oxygen consumption , together with blood vessel dilation , produces heat and melts the spermaceti , increasing its buoyancy and enabling easy surfacing . however , more recent work has found many problems with this theory including the lack of anatomical structures for the actual heat exchange . herman melville 's fictional story moby dick suggests that the " case " containing the spermaceti serves as a battering ram for use in fights between males . apart from a few famous instances such as the well - documented sinking of the ships essex and ann alexander by attackers estimated to weigh only one - fifth as much as the ships , this hypothesis is not well supported in current scientific literature . eyes and vision the sperm whale 's eye does not differ greatly from those of other toothed whales except in size . it is the largest among the toothed whales , weighing about 170 g . it is overall ellipsoid in shape , compressed along the visual axis , measuring about 7 × 7 × 3 cm . the cornea is elliptical and the lens is spherical . the sclera is very hard and thick , roughly 1 cm anteriorly and 3 cm posteriorly . there are no ciliary muscles . the choroid is very thick and contains a fibrous tapetum lucidum . like other toothed whales , the sperm whale can retract and protrude its eyes thanks to a 2 - cm - thick retractor muscle attached around the eye at the equator . according to and harbison ( 2002 ) , sperm whales eyes afford good vision and sensitivity to light . they conjectured that sperm whales use vision to hunt squid , either by detecting silhouettes from below or by detecting bioluminescence . if sperm whales detect silhouettes , and harbison suggested that they hunt upside down , allowing them to use the forward parts of the ventral visual fields for binocular vision . sleeping for some time researchers have been aware that pods of sperm whales may sleep for short periods , assuming a vertical position with their heads just below or at the surface . a 2008 study published in current biology recorded evidence that whales may sleep with both sides of the brain . it appears that some whales may fall into a deep sleep for about 7 percent of the time , most often between 6 p.m. and midnight . genetics sperm whales have 21 pairs of chromosomes ( 2n 42 ) . the genome of live whales can be examined by recovering shed skin . vocalization complex mechanism when echolocating , the sperm whale emits a directionally focused beam of broadband clicks . clicks are generated by forcing air through a pair of phonic lips ( also known as " monkey lips " or " museau de singe " ) at the front end of the nose , just below the blowhole . the sound then travels backwards along the length of the nose through the spermaceti organ . most of the sound energy is then reflected off the frontal sac at the cranium and into the melon , whose lens - like structure focuses it . some of the sound will reflect back into the spermaceti organ and back towards the front of the whale 's nose , where it will be reflected through the spermaceti organ a third time . this back and forth reflection which happens on the scale of a few milliseconds creates a multi - pulse click structure . this multi - pulse click structure allows researchers to measure the whale 's spermaceti organ using only the sound of its clicks . because the interval between pulses of a sperm whale 's click is related to the length of the sound producing organ , an individual whale 's click is unique to that individual . however , if the whale matures and the size of the spermaceti organ increases , the tone of the whale 's click will also change . the lower jaw is the primary reception path for the echoes . a continuous fat - filled canal transmits received sounds to the inner ear . the source of the air forced through the phonic lips is the right nasal passage . while the left nasal passage opens to the blow hole , the right nasal passage has evolved to supply air to the phonic lips . it is thought that the nostrils of the land - based ancestor of the sperm whale migrated through evolution to their current functions , the left nostril becoming the blowhole and the right nostril becoming the phonic lips . air that passes through the phonic lips passes into the distal sac , then back down through the left nasal passage . this recycling of air allows the whale to continuously generate clicks for as long as it is submerged . types of vocalization a creak is a rapid series of high - frequency clicks that sounds somewhat like a creaky door hinge . it is typically used when homing in on prey . a coda is a short pattern of 3 to 20 clicks that is used in social situations . they were once thought to be a way by which individuals identified themselves , but individuals have been observed producing multiple codas , and the same codas are used by multiple individuals . however , each click contains a physical signature which suggests that clicks can be used to identify individuals . geographically separate pods exhibit distinct dialects . large males are generally solitary and rarely produce codas . in breeding grounds , codas are almost entirely produced by adult females . despite evidence that sperm whales share similar codas , it is still unknown whether sperm whales possess individually specific coda repertoires or whether individuals make codas at different rates . slow clicks are heard only in the presence of males ( it is not certain whether females occasionally make them ) . males make a lot of slow clicks in breeding grounds ( 74 % of the time ) , both near the surface and at depth , which suggests they are primarily mating signals . outside breeding grounds , slow clicks are rarely heard , and usually near the surface . ecology distribution sperm whales are among the most cosmopolitan species . they prefer ice - free waters over 1 , 000 metres ( 3 , 300 ft ) deep . although both sexes range through temperate and tropical oceans and seas , only adult males populate higher latitudes . they are relatively abundant from the poles to the equator and are found in all the oceans . they inhabit the mediterranean sea , but not the black sea , while their presence in the red sea is uncertain . the shallow entrances to both the black sea and the red sea may account for their absence . the black sea 's lower layers are also anoxic and contain high concentrations of sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide . populations are denser close to continental shelves and canyons . sperm whales are usually found in deep , off - shore waters , but may be seen closer to shore , in areas where the continental shelf is small and drops quickly to depths of 310 to 920 metres ( 1 , 020 to 3 , 020 ft ) . coastal areas with significant sperm whale populations include the azores and dominica . in asian waters , whales are also observed regularly in coastal waters in places such as commander and kuril islands , shiretoko peninsula , off , vicinity to tokyo bay and boso peninsula to izu and izu islands , volcano islands , yakushima and islands to ryukyu islands , taiwan , northern mariana islands , and so forth . historical catch records suggest there could have been smaller aggression grounds in the sea of japan as well . grown males are known to enter surprisingly shallow bays to rest ( whales will be in state of rest during these occasions ) . there are unique , coastal groups reported from various areas among the globe such as scotland , shiretoko peninsula , off kaikoura , in davao gulf . such costal groups were more abundant in pre - whaling days . diet sperm whales usually dive between 300 to 800 metres ( 980 to 2 , 620 ft ) , and sometimes 1 to 2 kilometres ( 3 , 300 to 6 , 600 ft ) , in search of food . such dives can last more than an hour . they feed on several species , notably the giant squid , but also the colossal squid , octopuses , and fish like demersal rays , but their diet is mainly medium - sized squid . some prey may be taken accidentally while eating other items . most of what is known about deep sea squid has been learned from specimens in captured sperm whale stomachs , although more recent studies analysed feces . one study , carried out around the galápagos , found that squid from the genera histioteuthis ( 62 % ) , ( 16 % ) , and ( 7 % ) weighing between 12 and 650 grams ( 0 . 026 and 1 . 433 lb ) were the most commonly taken . battles between sperm whales and giant squid or colossal squid have never been observed by humans ; however , white scars are believed to be caused by the large squid . one study published in 2010 collected evidence that suggests that female sperm whales may collaborate when hunting humboldt squid . tagging studies have shown that sperm whales hunt upside down at the bottom of their deep dives . it is suggested that the whales can see the squid silhouetted above them against the dim surface light . an older study , examining whales captured by the new zealand whaling fleet in the cook strait region , found a 1 . 69 : 1 ratio of squid to fish by weight . sperm whales sometimes take and toothfish from long lines . long - line fishing operations in the gulf of alaska complain that sperm whales take advantage of their fishing operations to eat desirable species straight off the line , sparing the whales the need to hunt . however , the amount of fish taken is very little compared to what the sperm whale needs per day . video footage has been captured of a large male sperm whale " bouncing " a long line , to gain the fish . sperm whales are believed to prey on the megamouth shark , a rare and large deep - sea species discovered in the 1970s . in one case , three sperm whales were observed attacking or playing with a megamouth . the sharp beak of a consumed squid lodged in the whale 's intestine may lead to the production of ambergris , analogous to the production of pearls . the irritation of the intestines caused by squid beaks stimulates the secretion of this lubricant - like substance . sperm whales are prodigious feeders and eat around 3 % of their body weight per day . the total annual consumption of prey by sperm whales worldwide is estimated to be about 91 million tonnes ( 100 million short tons ) . in comparison , human consumption of seafood is estimated to be 115 million tonnes ( 127 million short tons ) . sperm whales hunt through echolocation . their clicks are among the most powerful sounds in the animal kingdom ( see above ) . it has been hypothesised that it can stun prey with its clicks . experimental studies attempting to duplicate this effect have been unable to replicate the supposed injuries , casting doubt on this idea . it has been stated that sperm whales , as well as other large cetaceans , help fertilise the surface of the ocean by consuming nutrients in the depths and transporting those nutrients to the oceans ' surface when they defecate , an effect known as the whale pump . this fertilises phytoplankton and other plants on the surface of the ocean and contributes to ocean productivity and the drawdown of atmospheric carbon . life cycle sperm whales can live 70 years or more . they are a prime example of a species that has been k - selected , meaning their reproductive strategy is associated with stable environmental conditions and comprises a low birth rate , significant parental aid to offspring , slow maturation , and high longevity . how they choose mates has not been definitively determined . males will fight with each other over females , and males will mate with multiple females , making them polygynous , but they do not dominate the group like a harem . males do not provide paternal care to their offspring . females become fertile at around 9 years of age . the oldest pregnant female ever recorded was 41 years old . gestation requires 14 to 16 months , producing a single calf . sexually mature females give birth once every 4 to 20 years ( pregnancy rates were higher during the whaling era ) . birth is a social event , as the mother and calf need others to protect them from predators . the other adults may jostle and bite the newborn in its first hours . lactation proceeds for 19 to 42 months , but calves , rarely , may suckle up to 13 years . like other whales , the sperm whale 's milk has a higher fat content than that of terrestrial mammals : about 36 % , compared to 4 % in cow milk . this gives it a consistency similar to cottage cheese , which prevents it from dissolving in the water before the calf can eat it . it has an energy content of roughly 3 , 840 kcal / kg , compared to just 640 kcal / kg in cow milk . calves may be allowed to suckle from females other than their mothers . males become sexually mature at 18 years . upon reaching sexual maturity , males move to higher latitudes , where the water is colder and feeding is more productive . females remain at lower latitudes . males reach their full size at about age 50 . social behaviour relations within the species adult males who are not breeding live solitary lives , whereas females and juvenile males live together in groups . the main driving force for the sexual segregation of adult sperm whales is scramble competition for mesopelagic squid . females and their young remain in groups , while mature males leave their " natal unit " somewhere between 4 and 21 years of age . mature males sometimes form loose bachelor groups with other males of similar age and size . as males grow older , they typically live solitary lives . mature males have beached themselves together , suggesting a degree of cooperation which is not yet fully understood . the whales rarely , if ever , leave their group . a social unit is a group of sperm whales who live and travel together over a period of years . individuals rarely , if ever , join or leave a social unit . there is a huge variance in the size of social units . they are most commonly between six and nine individuals in size but can have more than twenty . unlike orcas , sperm whales within a social unit show no significant tendency to associate with their genetic relatives . females and calves spend about three quarters of their time foraging and a quarter of their time socializing . usually takes place in the afternoon . when sperm whales socialize , they emit complex patterns of clicks called codas . they will spend much of the time rubbing against each other . tracking of diving whales suggests that groups engage in herding of prey , similar to bait balls created by other species , though the research needs to be confirmed by tracking the prey . relations with other species the most common natural predator of sperm whales is the orca , but pilot whales and false killer whales sometimes harass them . orcas prey on target groups of females with young , usually making an effort to extract and kill a calf . the adults will protect their calves or an injured adult by encircling them . they may face inwards with their tails out ( the ' formation ' , named after the flower ) . the heavy and powerful tail of an adult whale can deliver lethal blows . alternatively , they may face outwards ( the ' heads - out formation ' ) . other than sperm whales , southern right whales had been observed to perform similar formations . however , formations in non dangerous situations have been recorded as well . early whalers exploited this behaviour , attracting a whole unit by injuring one of its members . if the orca pod is extremely large , its members may sometimes be able to kill adult female sperm whales . solitary mature males are known to interfere and come to the aid of vulnerable groups nearby . individual large mature male sperm whales have no non - human predators , and are believed to be too large , powerful and aggressive to be threatened by orcas . in addition , male sperm whales have been observed to attack and intimidate orca pods . an incident was filmed from a long - line trawler : an orca pod was systematically taking fish caught on the trawler 's long lines ( as the lines were being pulled into the ship ) when a male sperm whale appeared to repeatedly charge the orca pod in an attempt to drive them away ; it was speculated by the film crew that the sperm whale was attempting to access the same fish . the orcas employed a tail outward and tail slapping defensive position against the bull sperm whale similar to that used by female sperm whales against attacking orcas . sperm whales are not known for forging bonds with other species , but it was observed that a bottlenose dolphin with spinal deformity had been accepted into a pod of sperm whales . they are known to swim alongside other cetaceans such as humpback , fin , minke , pilot , and orca whales on occasion . evolutionary history fossil record although the fossil record is poor , several extinct genera have been assigned to the clade physeteroidea , which includes the last common ancestor of the modern sperm whale , pygmy sperm whales , dwarf sperm whales , and extinct . these fossils include , , , aulophyseter , orycterocetus , scaldicetus , , and acrophyseter . , found in azerbaijan and dated to the late oligocene ( about 28 to 23 million years ago ) , is the most primitive fossil that has been found which possesses sperm whale - specific features such as an asymmetric rostrum ( " beak " or " snout " ) . most sperm whale fossils date from the miocene period , 23 to 5 million years ago . , from argentina , has been dated to the early miocene . fossil sperm whales from the middle miocene include aulophyseter , and orycterocetus , all of which were found on the west coast of the united states , and scaldicetus , found in europe and japan . orycterocetus fossils have also been found in the north atlantic ocean and the mediterranean sea , in addition to the west coast of the united states . , found in europe , and acrophyseter , from peru , are dated to the late miocene . fossil sperm whales differ from modern sperm whales in tooth count and the shape of the face and jaws . for example , scaldicetus had a tapered rostrum . genera from the oligocene and early and middle miocene , with the possible exception of aulophyseter , had teeth in their upper jaws . acrophyseter , from the late miocene , also had teeth in both the upper and lower jaws as well as a short rostrum and an upward curving mandible ( lower jaw ) . these anatomical differences suggest that fossil species may not have necessarily been deep - sea squid eaters like the modern sperm whale , but that some genera mainly ate fish . , dated from the middle to late miocene and found in southern italy , had teeth in both jaws and appears to have been adapted to feed on large prey , rather like the modern orca ( killer whale ) . other fossil sperm whales with adaptations similar to this are collectively known as killer sperm whales . phylogeny the traditional view has been that mysticeti ( baleen whales ) and odontoceti ( toothed whales ) arose from more primitive whales early in the oligocene period , and that the super - family physeteroidea , which contains the sperm whale , dwarf sperm whale , and pygmy sperm whale , diverged from other toothed whales soon after that , over 23 million years ago . from 1993 to 1996 , molecular phylogenetics analyses by and colleagues , based on comparing the genes of various modern whales , suggested that the sperm whales are more closely related to the baleen whales than they are to other toothed whales , which would have meant that odontoceti were not monophyletic ; in other words , it did not consist of a single ancestral toothed whale species and all its descendants . however , more recent studies , based on various combinations of comparative anatomy and molecular phylogenetics , criticised 's analysis on technical grounds and reaffirmed that the odontoceti are monophyletic . these analyses also confirm that there was a rapid evolutionary radiation ( diversification ) of the physeteroidea in the miocene period . the kogiidae ( dwarf and pygmy sperm whales ) diverged from the physeteridae ( true sperm whales ) at least 8 million years ago . relationship with humans sperm whaling spermaceti , obtained primarily from the spermaceti organ , and sperm oil , obtained primarily from the blubber in the body , were much sought after by eighteenth , nineteenth , and twentieth century whalers . these substances found a variety of commercial applications , such as candles , soap , cosmetics , machine oil , other specialised lubricants , lamp oil , pencils , crayons , leather waterproofing , rust - proofing materials and many pharmaceutical compounds . ambergris , a solid , waxy , flammable substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales , was also sought as a fixative in perfumery . prior to the early eighteenth century , hunting was mostly by indigenous indonesians . legend has it that sometime in the early eighteenth century , around 1712 , captain christopher hussey , while cruising for right whales near shore , was blown offshore by a northerly wind , where he encountered a sperm whale pod and killed one . although the story may not be true , sperm whales were indeed soon exploited by american whalers . judge paul dudley , in his essay upon the natural history of whales ( 1725 ) , states that one atkins , ten or twelve years in the trade , was among the first to catch sperm whales sometime around 1720 off the new england coast . there were only a few recorded catches during the first few decades ( 1709 – 1730s ) of offshore sperm whaling . instead , sloops concentrated on nantucket shoals , where they would have taken right whales or went to the davis strait region to catch bowhead whales . by the early 1740s , with the advent of spermaceti candles ( before 1743 ) , american vessels began to focus on sperm whales . the diary of benjamin bangs ( 1721 – 1769 ) shows that , along with the bumpkin sloop he sailed , he found three other sloops flensing sperm whales off the coast of north carolina in late may 1743 . on returning to nantucket in the summer 1744 on a subsequent voyage , he noted that " 45 are brought in here this day , " another indication that american sperm whaling was in full swing . american sperm whaling soon spread from the east coast of the american colonies to the gulf stream , the grand banks , west africa ( 1763 ) , the azores ( 1765 ) , and the south atlantic ( 1770s ) . from 1770 to 1775 massachusetts , new york , connecticut , and rhode island ports produced 45 , 000 barrels of sperm oil annually , compared to 8 , 500 of whale oil . in the same decade , the british began sperm whaling , employing american ships and personnel . by the following decade , the french had entered the trade , also employing american expertise . sperm whaling increased until the mid - nineteenth century . spermaceti oil was important in public lighting ( for example , in lighthouses , where it was used in the united states until 1862 , when it was replaced by lard oil , in turn replaced by petroleum ) and for lubricating the machines ( such as those used in cotton mills ) of the industrial revolution . sperm whaling declined in the second half of the nineteenth century , as petroleum came into broader use . in that sense , petroleum use may be said to have protected whale populations from even greater exploitation . sperm whaling in the eighteenth century began with small sloops carrying only one or two whaleboats . the fleet 's scope and size increased over time , and larger ships entered the fishery . in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century sperm whaling ships sailed to the equatorial pacific , the indian ocean , japan , the coast of arabia , australia and new zealand . hunting could be dangerous to the crew , since sperm whales ( especially bulls ) will readily fight to defend themselves against attack , unlike most baleen whales . when dealing with a threat , sperm whales will use their huge head effectively as a battering ram . arguably the most famous sperm whale counter - attack occurred on 20 november 1820 , when a whale claimed to be about 25 . 9 metres ( 85 ft ) long rammed and sank the nantucket whaleship essex . only 8 out of 21 sailors survived to be rescued by other ships . this instance is popularly believed to have inspired herman melville 's famous book moby - dick . the sperm whale 's ivory - like teeth were often sought by eighteenth- and nineteenth - century whalers , who used them to produce inked carvings known as scrimshaw . thirty teeth of the sperm whale can be used for ivory . each of these teeth , up to 20 cm ( 8 in ) and 8 cm ( 3 in ) across , are hollow for the first half of their length . like walrus ivory , sperm whale ivory has two distinct layers . however , sperm whale ivory contains a much thicker inner layer . though a widely practised art in the nineteenth century , scrimshaw using genuine sperm whale ivory declined substantially after the retirement of the whaling fleets in the 1880s . currently the endangered species act and the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ( cites ) , prevents the sales of or trade in sperm whale ivory harvested after 1973 or scrimshaw crafted from it . modern whaling was more efficient than open - boat whaling , employing steam - powered ships and exploding harpoons . initially , modern whaling activity focused on large baleen whales , but as these populations were taken , sperm whaling increased . spermaceti , the fine waxy oil produced by sperm whales , was in high demand . in both the 1941 to 1942 and 1942 to 1943 seasons , norwegian expeditions took over 3 , 000 sperm whales off the coast of peru alone . after the war , whaling continued unabated to obtain oil for cosmetics and high - performance machinery , such as automobile transmissions . the hunting led to the near extinction of large whales , including sperm whales , until bans on whale oil use were instituted in 1972 . the international whaling commission gave the species full protection in 1985 but hunting by japan in the northern pacific ocean continued until 1988 . it is estimated that the historic worldwide population numbered 1 , 100 , 000 before commercial sperm whaling began in the early eighteenth century . by 1880 it had declined by an estimated 29 percent . from that date until 1946 , the population appears to have partially recovered as whaling activity decreased , and after world war ii , the whale population increases to 33 percent of the pre - whaling population . between 184 , 000 and 236 , 000 sperm whales were killed by the various whaling nations in the nineteenth century , while in the twentieth century , at least 770 , 000 were taken , the majority between 1946 and 1980 . sperm whales increase levels of primary production and carbon export by depositing iron - rich faeces into surface waters of the southern ocean . the iron - rich faeces cause phytoplankton to grow and take up more carbon from the atmosphere . when the phytoplankton dies , it sinks to the deep ocean and takes the atmospheric carbon with it . by reducing the abundance of sperm whales in the southern ocean , whaling has resulted in an extra 2 million tonnes of carbon remaining in the atmosphere each year . remaining sperm whale populations are large enough that the species ' conservation status is rated as vulnerable rather than endangered . however , the recovery from centuries of commercial whaling is a slow process , particularly in the south pacific , where the toll on breeding - age males was severe . current conservation status the total number of sperm whales in the world is unknown , but is thought to be in the hundreds of thousands . the conservation outlook is brighter than for many other whales . commercial whaling has ceased , and the species is protected almost worldwide , though records indicate that in the eleven - year period starting from 2000 , japan has caught 51 sperm whales . fishermen do not target the creatures sperm whales eat , but long - line fishing operations in the gulf of alaska have complained about sperm whales stealing fish from their lines . currently , entanglement in fishing nets and collisions with ships represent the greatest threats to the sperm whale population . other threats include ingestion of marine debris , ocean noise , and chemical pollution . the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) regards the sperm whale as being " vulnerable " . the species is listed as endangered on the united states endangered species act . sperm whales are listed on appendix i and appendix ii of the convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals ( cms ) . it is listed on appendix i as this species has been categorized as being in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant proportion of their range and cms parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals , conserving or restoring the places where they live , mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them . it is listed on appendix ii as it has an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co - operation organised by tailored agreements . it is also covered by the agreement on the conservation of cetaceans in the black sea , mediterranean sea and contiguous atlantic area ( accobams ) and the memorandum of understanding for the conservation of cetaceans and their habitats in the pacific islands region ( pacific cetaceans mou ) . cultural importance rope - mounted teeth are important cultural objects throughout the pacific . in new zealand , the māori know them as " rei " ; such whale tooth pendants were rare objects because sperm whales were not actively hunted in traditional māori society . whale ivory and bone were taken from beached whales . in fiji the teeth are known as , traditionally given as gifts for atonement or esteem ( called ) , and were important in negotiations between rival chiefs . friedrich in the history of mankind reported in 1896 that , in fiji , whales ' or ' teeth were the most - demanded article of ornament or value . they occurred often in necklaces . today the remains an important item in fijian life . the teeth were originally rare in fiji and tonga , which exported teeth , but with the europeans ' arrival , teeth flooded the market and this " currency " collapsed . the oversupply led in turn to the development of the european art of scrimshaw . herman melville 's novel moby - dick is based on a true story about a sperm whale that attacked and sank the whaleship essex . melville associated the sperm whale with the bible 's leviathan . the fearsome reputation perpetuated by melville was based on bull whales ' ability to fiercely defend themselves from attacks by early whalers , occasionally resulting in the destruction of the whaling ships . the sperm whale was designated as the connecticut state animal by the ct general assembly in 1975 . it was selected because of its specific contribution to the state 's history and because of its present - day plight as an endangered species . watching sperm whales sperm whales are not the easiest of whales to watch , due to their long dive times and ability to travel long distances underwater . however , due to the distinctive look and large size of the whale , watching is increasingly popular . sperm whale watchers often use hydrophones to listen to the clicks of the whales and locate them before they surface . popular locations for sperm whale watching include the town of kaikoura on new zealand 's south island , and tromsø in arctic norway ; as well as the azores , where the continental shelf is so narrow that whales can be observed from the shore , and dominica where a long - term scientific research program , the dominica sperm whale project , has been in operation since 2005 . plastic waste the introduction of plastic waste to the ocean environment by humans is new . sperm whales are now occasionally found with pieces of plastic in their stomachs .