The Sperm Whale

(Physeter Macrocephalus)

by Max Burt

Background

Sperm whales are one of the most popular and easily recognizable creatures on earth, whether people know it as the antagonistic leviathan from "Moby Dick," the dreadful creature that swallows Pinocchio, or simply as that one whale with the funny name. Regardless, sperm whales have played an important role in their marine ecosystems for millennia, and have had an interesting history with mankind as well. A few centuries ago, whalers noticed that sperm whales possessed large accumulations of a waxy substance in their heads. These whalers believed the substance to be sperm, and therefore the wax in their heads was named "spermaceti," which, in latin, translates directly to "whale-sperm." It is because of these circumstances that the sperm whale got its name, and it has stuck ever since.

In addition to having the largest brains of any animal that has ever existed, sperm whales are some of the most physically impressive animals on earth. This can be shown in how they obtain their nutrition. On average, sperm whales consume roughly 2,000 pounds of food per day. This frequently consists of fish but their favorite (and most difficult meal) is giant squid. In order to reach these squid, sperm whales are known to dive to depths of about 3,280 feet below the surface of the water. Because whales are not fish and do not have the luxury of synthesizing oxygen through gills, whales must breath regular air like you and me. Although lungs limit the capabilities of most marine mammals, it has been shown that sperm whales are capable of holding their breath for 90 minutes during their deep dives for squid.  

Sperm whales travel in pods of about 15-20 individuals. Most of the pods are made up of females and their young while males are known to travel solo or roam from group to group. The females and calves stay in tropical/subtropical waters year round, but the males will migrate to higher latitudes until it is breeding season again, upon which they will return towards equatorial waters to mate. Males will grow to reach about 60 feet in length and females will reach about 40-45 feet on average. (National Geographic)

Geography and Population

Although females and their young prefer warmer waters, sperm whales inhabit every ocean across the globe between the latitudes of 40 degrees south and 50 degrees north. 

Sperm Whale Range

In 2003, scientists estimated the global sperm whale population to be around 360,000. Although stable, this number is a 68% decrease from what the population was estimated at before mass hunting began. Due to the ban of commercial whaling, it has been theorized that sperm whale numbers have dramatically increased, but it is still unclear what the long-term effects are for total sperm whale population. (EDGE)

Listing

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, sperm whales are listed as endangered wherever they are found. Sperm whales were originally listed as endangered on June 2, 1970, and were added under the ESA list of endangered species with its formation in 1973. 

Threats

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, historically, whaling has been the primary threat to the total population of sperm whales worldwide. It is estimated that between the years 1800 and 1987, anywhere between 436,000 and 1,000,000 sperm whales were killed for their resources. However, due to efforts made by the IWC (International Whaling Commission) to prohibit the harvest of sperm whales, the hunting of sperm whales by humans has decreased significantly. Other than rogue fishermen/whalers, current threats to the sperm whales species include ship strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, disturbance by anthropogenic noise, and pollutants. 

Recovery Plan

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the recovery plan for the sperm whale prepared by the Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service and approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration identifies the following actions as necessary to achieve recovery of sperm whales:

1) Coordinate state, federal, and international actions to implement recovery action and maintain international regulation of whaling for sperm whales;

2) Develop and apply methods to estimate population size and monitor trends in abundance;

3) Determine population discreteness and population structure of sperm whales;

4) Conduct risk analyses:

5) Identify, characterize, protect and monitor habitat important to sperm whale populations in U.S. waters and elsewhere;

6) Investigate causes of and reduce the frequency and severity of human-caused injury and mortality;

7) Determine and minimize any detrimental effects of anthropogenic noise in the oceans;

8) maximize efforts to acquire scientific information from dead, stranded, and entangled sperm whales; and

9) Develop post-delisting monitoring plan.

What We Can Do
Because of the nature of the sperm whale, it is hard for every-day people like you and me to make a significant change in the population and overall well-being of this magnificent species. With the continuous implementation of anti-whaling policies and the subsequent acceptance of these policies on an international scale, there will hopefully be one day where the sperm whale does not need the help of man to thrive in the wild. However, if you have an unrelenting urge to aid in the steadfast recovery of sperm whales, I recommend you go and join Paul Watson and the crew of the "Sea Shepherd" as they take on Japanese whalers in an attempt to secure a bright future for sperm whales
and all marine mammals alike. Who knows, you might be on TV too. 

Citations

"Sperm Whales, Sperm Whale Pictures, Sperm Whale Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sperm-whale/>.

"EDGE of Existence." EDGE of Existence. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=109>.

Resources, Office Of Protected, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, and Maryland Silver Spring. "Final Recovery Plan for the Sperm Whale." (2010): n. pag. Fish and Wildlife Service. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Sperm_whale_Recovery_Plan.pdf>.

"Sperm Whale (Physeter Macrocephalus)." :: NOAA Fisheries. N.p., 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/whales/sperm-whale.html>.

"Species Profile for Sperm Whale (Physeter Catodon (=macrocephalus))."Species Profile for Sperm Whale (Physeter Catodon (=macrocephalus)). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A02T>.

Picture URL's by Appearance

http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2011/03/17/sperm_whales_have_names_for_each_other/spermwhale.jpeg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpeg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Zv8oq0jV2UA/U2kIpEq8RVI/AAAAAAAAk5w/CNCmaPhkvq8/w2048-h2048/Moby_Dick_White_Whale_Jumping.jpg

http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/Sperm-Whales-631.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sperm-whale/

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TF5muSgr--/17uirxezpnmjkjpg.jpg

http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nachtwey-580.jpg