Sperm Whale
Section Introduction
- The Sperm whale is a mammal with the brain weighing around 8 kilograms (five times heavier than a human’s). Its society is matriarchal; females and babies live together in groups while grown males turn to solitary lifestyles. It can survive around 90 minutes without breathing, dive in up to 3,000 meters in depth and mainly feed on deep-sea fish and cephalopod (Giant squid in particular).
- Ambergris, a substance occasionally found in the digestive system of Sperm whales, is used as a finest fixative of perfume, which is why people refer to it as floating gold. Spermaceti in the head of the wales is good as a lubricant.
Section Gallery
Sperm Whale
Seodaemun Museum of Natural History
