Sperm Whales Dive Over 2,000 Meters to Hunt in Antarctic Waters

A 40-ton mammal plunges two kilometers into darkness.

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🤯 Did You Know (click to read)

Sperm whales possess the largest brains of any known animal.

Sperm whales are capable of diving beyond 2,000 meters in search of prey, including large squid. In Antarctic waters, these dives occur in near-freezing temperatures. Adults can reach lengths of 16 meters and weigh up to 40 metric tons. At such depths, pressure exceeds 200 atmospheres. They hold their breath for over an hour during extreme dives. Specialized adaptations allow oxygen storage in muscles and blood. Tagging studies have recorded these remarkable descent profiles. Few animals combine such mass with such abyssal range.

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💥 Impact (click to read)

Descending two kilometers is equivalent to submerging beneath multiple stacked skyscrapers. A mammal of this size navigates complete darkness while hunting agile squid. The pressure at those depths would crush unprotected equipment. Yet the whale's physiology absorbs and withstands it repeatedly. Its scale and diving depth make it one of Earth's most extreme breath-hold predators.

Sperm whales connect surface ecosystems with deep-ocean food webs. Their feeding influences squid populations and nutrient redistribution. Changes in Antarctic prey availability could alter migration patterns. The image of a bus-sized mammal vanishing into polar abyss underscores how little of marine giant behavior is visible from the surface.

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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