The sperm whale is a huge marine mammal. He is the only living representative of this family. The sperm whale is very different from other representatives of cetaceans. For a long time little was known about these unique creatures, since only modern technologies allow them to be observed in the depths. Recently this type was on the verge of extinction, since only at the beginning of the 20th century active fishing for them ceased. A sperm whale tooth is very valuable. In addition, animals were mercilessly destroyed to obtain spermaceti, ambergris and blubber. Sperm whale fat is less valuable.
The sperm whale is a huge marine mammal
Catching cetaceans was considered an extremely dangerous activity, since the animals have a bad temper, therefore, when wounded, they became very aggressive and could not only kill fishermen, but also sink whaling ships. However, even a sperm whale tooth was valued as an ornamental material, so these creatures were actively exterminated. It is believed that the number of sperm whales currently does not exceed 300-400 thousand heads.
Sperm whales have long attracted the attention of scientists with their unique appearance. These creatures have pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, representatives of different sexes are not difficult to identify. Males are usually larger in size. The body length, as a rule, is about 20 m. At the same time, their weight can reach more than 50 tons. Females are much smaller. Their body length usually does not exceed 15 m. Body weight varies from 17 to 20 tons. This difference between the sexes is due to the characteristics of life. Among other things, representatives of different sexes have significantly different head shapes and the number of teeth. Sperm whales are difficult to confuse with other representatives of cetaceans. These animals have a characteristic large rectangular head. This is explained by the fact that it is in this part of the body that the spermaceti sac is located. The organ has complex structure, consisting of two cavities filled with a specific substance. This bag takes up about 90% of the volume of the animal's huge head.
It is currently unknown why the whale needs spermaceti. Some scientists believe that since this substance hardens when cooled and acquires a different density, which directly affects the buoyancy of the animal. As is known, these unique whales can dive to a depth of up to 2 thousand meters. In addition, there is a theory that this sac and the spermaceti that permeates the whale’s fat layer play an important role in the process of obtaining information using echolocation. In addition, some researchers believe that the sperm whale may need this substance for shock absorption and to prevent the animal from receiving serious damage during fights between males during the mating season.
The fat layer of these whales can reach more than 1 m. Sperm whales have unique lungs. They can hold their breath for 90 minutes. In addition, as they descend to depth, the lungs can shrink to 10% of their original volume under the influence of water pressure, without the animal dying. The sperm whale brain deserves special attention. The creatures have it more than other representatives of cetaceans. It is difficult to judge the mental abilities of this animal, but many researchers note that sperm whales are characterized by extreme variability in behavioral attitudes. In certain situations they can act differently. It is believed that this creature received the nickname “killer whale” precisely because it acted unpredictably during an attack by people.
The skeleton of the sperm whale reveals its membership in the family of mammals and indicates that the ancient ancestors of this animal once roamed the earth. The sperm whale's mouth can open almost 90°. In addition, the huge teeth of the sperm whale are of particular concern to people. The jaws are strewn with them heterogeneously. Each sperm whale tooth fits into a specially designated recess. Usually there are from 20 to 26 pairs of them on the lower one, and only 1-2 on the upper one. In females they are usually smaller in size. Any sperm whale tooth can reach a weight of 1 kg.
The body of the sperm whale is covered with smooth dark blue skin. The albino sperm whale, or white whale, is extremely rare. The nasal opening is located on the whale's back. Despite the fact that the giant sperm whale weighs a lot, it is capable of developing higher speed up to 40 km/h. This is possible thanks to a huge tail, a small fin on the back and short but very wide fins on the chest. It is known that these animals have a complex multi-chambered stomach, which allows them to obtain the maximum possible amount of nutrients. In addition, the whale’s intestines, the length of which can be 15-18 times the length of the body of the entire creature, helps the whale extract as many useful compounds as possible. Despite the fact that the description of this animal was given at the beginning of the 20th century, many points concerning its anatomy are poorly understood.
Gallery: sperm whale whale (25 photos)
Sperm whale hunting for squid (video)
Lifestyle of sperm whales
These creatures are remarkable in many ways because they usually lead a herd lifestyle. In the 18th century, schools were discovered, the number of individuals in which was about 1 thousand whales. Nowadays, even herds of more than 250 whales are rare. These creatures are very good predators. A sperm whale tooth usually gets:
- squid;
- fish;
- octopus;
- cuttlefish.
It is not known exactly how much food this creature can eat at once. Animals often swallow plastic objects, which has a very negative impact on their digestive system. If the intestines become completely clogged, the animal may die. Despite the fact that this creature can eat fish, the sperm whale does so reluctantly. Squid is his favorite food. It is behind them that sperm whales descend to a considerable depth, where their victims gather in large flocks. Despite the fact that sperm whales have teeth, they usually swallow the squid whole. Extremely large specimens of these cephalopods were also found in the stomachs of these whales.
Despite the fact that in different regions When cutting sperm whales, a very large squid was found in their stomachs, but the largest was found in a caught whale off the coast of southern Australia. This specimen became widely known as it reached more than 2.5 m in length and weighed about 110 kg. Sperm whales are found wherever squid are common.
They are divided into northern and southern populations. Usually only males regularly make long migrations from the equator to northern latitudes, while females prefer to lag behind in warm waters temperate zone. These creatures do not adhere to certain established rules for completing migration. They can swim in the ocean for a long time, and the direction can often change. It is believed that this behavior is the result of these creatures searching for food.
Sperm whale behavior during the breeding season
Only during the mating season do males rush to the equator, where females and young animals gather in herds. Such flocks can reach more than 50 individuals. Males often engage in fights with other members of their sex for the right to be with the harem throughout the entire breeding season. Thus, one adult strong male can become the father of 10-30 cubs. During courtship, these whales make loud clicks and crackles. These sounds can be heard over a very long distance. The female remains pregnant for 14 to 16 months.
After the calf appears, she is forced to stay with it in the warm equatorial waters and feed it rich milk. Typically, females remain in herds and jointly raise their young. This also allows for fairly high level survival of young animals. Females feed calves for 2 years. Even after this, young individuals remain in the herd. Typically, young females reach sexual maturity at approximately 8-14 years of age. Males usually need at least 18 years of age to begin taking part in the fight for the right to procreate.
The most dangerous animals (video)
Adult sperm whales have virtually no enemies in their natural environment, since no other predator can compare with them in size and strength. However, young individuals that stray from the mother herd often become victims of killer whales, which, acting together, can kill the calf. Others natural enemies Sperm whales do not.
Currently, little is known about the diseases that affect these huge animals. However, there is evidence that among the common causes of death of adult sperm whales, the leading place is occupied by:
- myocardial infarction:
- atherosclerosis;
- necrosis of bone tissue;
- stomach ulcers.
It is believed that most of these huge creatures suffer from severe helminthic infestations. In females, giant roundworms that reach more than 8 meters in length are often found in the placenta. The skin of a whale can be severely infested with various crustaceans. They do not cause significant damage, but increase the energy costs of movement in water, as they reduce the flow of the skin. In addition, clinging fish are often found on the sides of sperm whales.
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Sperm whale
- This is the largest representative of toothed whales. Its length reaches 20 m. Almost a third of the body length is made up of a huge head, blunt in front and compressed from the sides.
DIMENSIONS
Length: male - 15-20 m, female - 11-15 m.
The average weight of a male is 36 tons, a female is 20 tons.
REPRODUCTION
Puberty: male - from 23-25, female - from 15-17 years.
Mating season: depends on the region.
Pregnancy: 16-17 months.
Number of cubs: 1.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: keep in herds.
Sounds: clicking, crackling, groaning.
Food: fish, shellfish.
Life expectancy: 45-50 years.
The sperm whale dives deeper than other marine mammals. It can dive to a depth of three thousand meters. Males dive deeper than females. Animals can survive under water for up to one and a half hours. When hunting in complete darkness, sperm whales take advantage of the location.
REPRODUCTION. 3 With the arrival of autumn, herds of sperm whales that are in the polar regions head to breeding grounds located near the equator. The largest and most powerful males gather a harem of 10-15 females with cubs. Males fight fiercely for the place of head of the harem; during the clash, they often break teeth and damage their jaws. If harems unite into a herd, then there are several males in it. The male at the head of the harem mates with all females, with the exception of pregnant women and those with small cubs. After mating, he remains in the herd. After 16-17 months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one calf. The length of the newborn is 4-4.5 meters, and the weight is about 1 ton. Nursing of the cubs lasts 5-6 or possibly 17-18 months (by this time the length of the cub reaches 6-8 m). Females give birth to one baby every three years.
FOOD. The main place in the diet of the sperm whale is occupied by cephalopods, including almost 20 species of squid. In search of these animals, sperm whales dive very deep greater depth. They prefer fish to perches, small sharks, stingrays, deep-sea anglerfish. Occasionally, sperm whales attack seals. Sometimes they pick up crayfish, lobsters and even stones from the bottom. Scientists believe that the stones act like millstones, grinding food in the sperm whale's stomach. 
Sperm whales hunt and giant squid. As evidence of such a struggle, traces of squid suckers remain on the head of sperm whales.
LIFESTYLE . Sperm whales are marine mammals. Animals live in herds. There are bachelor groups, harems containing a male, females and cubs, and large herds consisting of several united harems.
Sperm whales breed
in all warm seas peace. Underwater, they navigate with the help of hearing and echo location, since their vision and hearing are not sufficiently developed. Whales make three types of sounds: short and frequent clicks, groans and rapid crackling sounds. Stranded sperm whales emit a loud roar. They end up on the shore due to the failure of the location radar. In such cases, rescuers, in order to save the entire group, kill the sperm whale that finds itself on the shore, since the animals following its roar also fall into the trap. In the summer, sperm whales head to the food-rich waters of the Arctic and Antarctica.
Sperm whale and man. For a long time, the sperm whale was the most important object of whaling. From one large male, 7-10 tons of fat and up to 6 tons of spermaceti were extracted. Ambergris is also in special demand - the fragrant intestinal secretions of these animals; pieces of it are sometimes found in the rectum of males. Ambergris is a valuable product that is used in the perfume industry. From 1750 to 1850, sperm whales were hunted mercilessly. In 1963, 35,000 sperm whales were caught. Modern whaling ships easily catch sperm whales and other whales. Whalers take advantage of the fact that instinct makes these animals protect their wounded relative. Hunters find one sperm whale, wound it and wait for other members of the herd to appear.
Did you know? The sperm whale swims at a speed of about 6 km/hour. However, it can reach speeds of up to 30 km/hour.
Within a minute, a sperm whale can dive to a depth of 170 m. When emerging, it rises to the surface at a speed of 140 m/min. After a long stay under water, he takes many breaths at intervals of 20-30 seconds, releasing fountains. The fountains are tilted forward.
Newborn sperm whales have no teeth. They appear after the animal reaches sexual maturity, and do not serve to grind food, but are used by male sperm whales in battles for the harem. 
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE SPERM WHALE. Breath hole: A sperm whale can stay underwater for 50 minutes to one and a half hours. Having risen, he breathes many times, releasing fountains.
Fat pad: filled with a waxy substance - spermaceti. It is located on the head of the sperm whale. The fat pad protrudes sharply forward beyond the tip of the lower jaw, and the entire oral cavity appears below the head.
Sperm whales protect a sick or injured comrade by forming a protective ring from their bodies, inside which the injured animal is located.
LIVING PLACE Sperm whales live in all oceans of the world and are divided into two populations. The northern one lives in the northern hemisphere from the equator to the Arctic, and the southern one - from the equator to Antarctica.
Preservation. Despite the fact that the international organization that protects sperm whales has limited the catch of these animals, their numbers have decreased significantly. There are less than 500 thousand sperm whales in total.
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Weight:
female sperm whales up to 13.6 tons
male up to 40.8 tons
Length:
females up to 11 m
male up to 16 m
Colour: Mostly dark grey, although some sperm whales have white spots on their bellies
Features of the structure: very large head, which is approximately 1/3 of the total body length
Lifespan: unknown, but females live about 30 years, and males about 50 years. Although there is an assumption that they can live up to 70 years.
Sperm whale diet: large squid, sharks, rays and fish
Foraging: dive to search for food, the average dive lasts about 35 minutes at a depth of up to 400 m, but can remain underwater for more than an hour and reach depths of more than 1000 m
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are the most major representative toothed whales, with pronounced sexual dimorphism among cetaceans: males are significantly larger than females.
The sperm whale is extremely different big head, which makes up from 25 to 35% of the total body length.
It is the only cetacean that has an asymmetrical breathing hole located on the left side of its head. Sperm whales have the largest brain of any animal. Brain mass can be 7.8 kg in males, however, compared to their large sizes body, the brain is not exceptional in size.
The sperm whale has 20-26 large conical teeth on each side of its lower jaw. The teeth in the upper jaw rarely grow and are considered vestigial.
It appears that the teeth are not involved in eating.
Sperm whales are mostly dark gray, many individuals have bright white mouths, and some whales have white spots on their bellies. Their fins are paddle-shaped and small in size relative to their body size, and their flukes are triangular in shape. They have small dorsal fins.
Sperm whales spend most their life in deep waters, their diet includes large marine organisms, which also live in deep ocean waters.
The main food item is squid weighing from 0.1 kg to 10 kg, but they also feed on bottom-dwelling sharks, rays and fish.
Female sperm whales reach sexual maturity at approximately 9 years of age, reaching 9 m in length. The female gives birth to one cub once every five years. The female's pregnancy lasts up to 16 months, and the baby is born 4 m long.
At the age of one year, the cub can already obtain food on its own, but they continue to feed on mother’s milk for several years.
Unlike females, males reach sexual maturity between the ages of 10 and 20 years. Despite the fact that males are already sexually mature, they do not actively participate in reproduction until they are 20 years old.
Females unite in flocks of 12 individuals. Males also unite in flocks at the age of 4 to 21 years.
As males mature, they migrate to higher latitudes (towards the poles), the pack becomes smaller, and eventually large males begin to lead a solitary life.
Large, mature males, 20 years of age or older, sometimes return to tropical latitudes for mating.
Sperm whale habitat
Sperm whales typically live in areas of seas and oceans with water depths of 600 m or more, and are rare in waters less than 300 m deep.
Females tend to be found in even deeper waters from 1000 m in low latitudes 40°, except in the North Pacific, where they may be around 50° latitude. These latitudes, as a rule, correspond to water surface temperatures exceeding 15 ° C. Females try to be as far as possible from the shores of continents and islands.
Immature males stay with female sperm whales in tropical and subtropical waters until they begin to slowly migrate toward the poles, ranging in age from 4 to 21 years. Old, large males tend to live on the edges of drifting ice in both hemispheres. In some cases, however, these males return to warm waters to breed.
Sperm whales inhabit all the oceans of the world. They can be seen adjacent to drifting ice in both hemispheres and are also common along the equator, especially in the Pacific Ocean.
Sperm whales are found throughout the world's oceans in deep waters between 60°N latitude. and 60°S latitudes
Their presence in a region depends on their food source and suitable conditions for reproduction, and varies depending on sexual and age composition flocks.
Sperm whale migrations are not as predictable as those of most baleen whales.
Sperm whale population size
Over the past 2 centuries, commercial whalers have caught about 1 million sperm whales.
Despite this high catch rate, the sperm whale remains the most common large species whales
Currently, there is no accurate estimate of the total number of sperm whales worldwide. There are estimated to be between 200,000 and 1,500,000 sperm whales on Earth today, based on extrapolation from only a few areas that have more accurate estimates.
Threats of extermination
Whaling (mainly 1800-1987) killed at least 436,000 sperm whales, but possibly more than 1,000,000. Hunting of sperm whales by commercial whalers declined in the 1970s and 1980s, and effectively ceased with the introduction of moratorium on whaling in 1988.
Currently, the main threats to sperm whales are:
Collisions with ships;
- hits in fishing gear, although they are not so large for sperm whales, coastal cetaceans are more caught in nets;
- anthropogenic noise, especially in areas of oil and gas activity or in areas of intense shipping;
- accumulation of persistent pollutants (eg polycholorobiphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (DDT, DDE, etc.), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals). Potential contamination coastal areas may be a problem for this species in these habitats.
The sperm whale was listed as endangered on June 2, 1970, under the Endangered Species Act of 1969 (35 FR 8495), and protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
Among all mammal species, the sperm whale stands out due to its huge toothy mouth, impressive size, speed and endurance. These “sea monsters” are the only ones left alive from the entire family of sperm whales. Why are they hunted? What threat does it pose to humans? How does he live and what does he eat? More on all this later in the article!
Description of sperm whale
In the open spaces of the sea you can meet amazing creatures huge size . One of them is the predator whale sperm whale. Its main difference from other whales is its diet. He is not interested in plankton or algae, but hunts for the “bigger fish” in the literal sense of the word. They are predators who emergency situation can attack people. If you do not threaten the life of the cubs and do not interfere with everyday activities, they will not independently attack a person.
Appearance
Sperm whales look very unusual and a little scary. The first thing that catches your eye is the huge head, which, at first glance, is larger than the body. The figure is most clearly expressed in profile; when viewed from the front, the head does not stand out and a sperm whale can easily be confused with a whale. “The larger the body, the larger the brain,” this rule applies to most mammals, but not to sperm whales.
The skull contains a large number of spongy tissue and fat, and the brain itself is only several times larger than a human one. Spermaceti, a substance with a waxy base, is extracted from the spongy substance. At the initial stages of development chemical industry Candles, creams, bases for ointments, and glue were made from it.
This is interesting! Only after the discovery of synthetic thickeners did humanity stop exterminating sperm whales.
Behavior and lifestyle
Every 30 minutes, sperm whales emerge from the depths to breathe oxygen. His respiratory system differs from the system of other whales, even the stream of water released by the sperm whale is directed at an angle, and not straight. Another one interesting ability This whale is a very fast dive. Despite its low speed (10 km/h), it can assume a completely vertical position above the water. This is due to the powerful muscles of the tail, with which it can stun enemies or fight off rivals.
Lifespan
The female sperm whale carries the embryo within her for almost 16 months. Only one cub can be born at a time. This limitation is due to the size of the fetus. The newborn reaches 3 meters in length and weighs almost 950 kilograms. For the first year he feeds exclusively on milk, this allows him to grow and develop.
Important! Before the ban on hunting was introduced, average age of the killed individual was 12-15 years old. That is, mammals did not live to see a third of their lives.
In the second year of life, it develops teeth and can hunt other fish. Females give birth only once every 3 years. Females begin to mate at the age of seven, and males at the age of 10. Average duration The lifespan of sperm whales is 50-60 years, sometimes up to 70 years. The female retains reproductive function until 45 years of age.
Sperm whale dimensions
Adult males reach 20 meters in length, and weight can reach 70 tons. Females are slightly smaller in size - their weight does not exceed 30 tons, and their length is 15 m.
Range, habitats
You can meet sea titans in almost every ocean. From cold water They try to stay away, however, they are often observed in the North Atlantic Ocean and the waters of the Bering Sea. Males can swim into South ocean. Females prefer warmer water, their geographical limit is Japan, Australia, California.
Sperm whale diet
Sperm whales eat meat and most often hunt cephalopods and small fish. They search for victims at a depth of up to 1.2 km, for big fish You can dive to a depth of 3-4 km.
This is interesting! During periods of prolonged hunger, sperm whales are saved by a huge reserve of fat, which is used to maintain energy.
They can also feed on carrion. Their digestive tract is capable of dissolving even bones, so they never die of hunger.
Reproduction and offspring
Female sperm whales usually do not go beyond the boundaries of warm waters, so the period of mating and childbirth for them is not limited as sharply as for species whose females make constant migrations to the cold waters of both hemispheres. Sperm whales can give birth throughout the year, but most calves are born in the fall. For Northern Hemisphere it happens early autumn. Yes, in the North Atlantic large quantity offspring are born between May and November. Before giving birth, females gather in a quiet zone, where conditions will favorably influence the development of the offspring.
Such regions in the Pacific Ocean include the waters of Marshall Island and Bonin Island, east coast Japan, and to a lesser extent - the waters of the South Kuril Islands and the Galapagos Islands, in Atlantic Ocean— Azores, Bermuda, coasts of the African province of Natal and Madagascar. Sperm whales inhabit areas of clear, deep water that are located on the leeward side of an island or reef.
In the Southern Hemisphere, "mating season" occurs between December and April. Females give birth far from home, so that others predatory fish did not harm the offspring. Comfortable water temperature is 17-18 degrees Celsius. In April 1962
Near the island of Tristan da Cunha, rescuers observed the birth of a calf from a helicopter. Among several groups of sperm whales, which numbered 20-30 individuals. The whales took turns diving next to each other, so the water seemed cloudy.
This is interesting! To prevent the newborn from drowning, other females support him, diving under him and pushing him up.
After some time, the water acquired a reddish color, and a newborn appeared on the surface of the ocean, which immediately followed its mother. They were guarded by 4 other sperm whales, most likely also females. Eyewitnesses noted that during childbirth the female took a vertical position, sticking out of the water by almost a quarter of her body length. In a newborn, the blades of the caudal fin are curled into a tube for some time.
Natural enemies
Due to its size and sharp teeth, the sperm whale does not have many enemies. A newborn or a female who is unprotected, but she will no longer risk attacking an adult male. Sharks and whales are not their rivals. In the race for easy money and valuable trophies, humanity has driven sperm whales very close to the extinction line.
Today, hunting and catching these animals is prohibited and punishable by law.. But this did not affect the well-being of the chemical and cosmetic industries, because scientists have long learned to synthesize lamprey substances in laboratories.
Population and species status
The decline in the sperm whale population from natural causes is not known, but as a result of human industrial activity, these mammals have suffered significant losses. Hunting with hand harpoons from sailing ships began in the first half of the 18th century. And it lasted for almost 100 years, after which there were so few whales that it was decided to stop hunting and fishing in order to preserve and restore the population. And it worked.
The sperm whale population has begun to return to normal. But with the advent of industrial technologies, a whaling fleet was formed and industry switched to new level. As a result, by the 60s of the 21st century, in some regions of the World Ocean there was a sharp decline in the number of these mammals. This situation has upset the balance of oceanic fauna due to a shift in the food chain.
Sperm whale and man
“Both humans and sea animals are mammals. And to do what people have been doing for 100 years - and what else is a crime, against our little brothers.” © Guide to the Abyss. 1993
Commercial value
Hunting brought a lot of income to the industry. The Basques were doing this in the Bay of Biscay already in the 11th century. In North America, sperm whale hunting began in the 17th century. The main valuable element that was extracted from the bodies of sperm whales was fat. Before mid-19th century, this substance was the only ingredient that satisfied all the needs of the medical industry. It was used as a fuel for lighting, as a lubricant, as a leather softening solution, and in many other processes. In most cases, fat was used to make soap and in the production of margarine. Some varieties were used in the chemical industry.
This is interesting! All cetaceans are mammals. Their ancestors once lived on land. They still have fins that look like webbed hands. But for many thousands of years, living in water, they adapted to such a life.
Fat was extracted mainly from individuals caught in the Arctic and Antarctic in the spring and summer, because at that time they weighed more, which means more fat could be obtained. Almost 8,000 liters of fat mass were extracted from one sperm whale. In 1946, a special international committee for the protection of sperm whales. He is engaged in population support and population control. Despite all efforts, this did not help save the situation; the population of sperm whales tended to zero faster and faster.
IN modern world hunting does not have such a need and meaning as before. And extreme people who want to “play war” will pay a fine or even go to jail. In addition to the fat, sperm whales have very tasty meat, and bone tissue make fertilizers. Also, ambergris is extracted from their bodies - a very valuable substance that is produced in their intestines. It is used to make perfume. A sperm whale tooth is valued as highly as ivory.
Danger to humans
Sperm whale - the only kind whales that can swallow a person whole without chewing. However, despite the large number of deaths during the hunt for sperm whales, these whales apparently very rarely swallowed people who fell into the water. The only more or less confirmed case (it was even documented by the British Admiralty) occurred in 1891 near the Falkland Islands.
Fact! A sperm whale crashed a boat from the British whaling schooner "Star of the East", one sailor died, and the other, harpooner James Bartley, went missing and was also presumed dead.
The sperm whale that sank the boat was killed a few hours later; the cutting of his carcass continued all night. By morning, the whalers, having reached the insides of the whale, found James Bartley, who was unconscious, in his stomach. Bartley survived, although not without health consequences. The hair on his head fell out and his skin lost its pigment and remained papery white. Bartley had to leave whaling, but he was able to make a good living by showing himself at fairs as a man who had been in the belly of a whale, like the biblical Jonah.
V. Sheffer. Year of the whale
MOBILE WILD SPERM WHALE...
Outstanding novel American writer Herman Melville's “Moby Dick, or the White Whale” (1851), full of sorrow, passion and rage, is considered by most readers to be “symbolic and almost fantastic works. Nevertheless, the author of this amazing book is a professional sailor and whaler, and it itself is a kind of “encyclopedia of whaling.”
Let us briefly recall the content of the novel. Ishmael, on whose behalf the story is told, is hired as a sailor on the whaling ship Pequod. After departure, it turns out that the voyage is not entirely ordinary. The captain of the Pequod, Ahab, who lost his leg in a battle with the famous Moby Dick, went to sea with the sole purpose of giving battle to his enemy. He intends to pursue White Whale“and beyond the Cape of Good Hope, and beyond Cape Horn, and beyond the Norwegian Maelström, and beyond the flames of destruction”... “This is the goal of your voyage, people! - he shouts in furious rage. “Chase the White Whale in both hemispheres until he releases a fountain of black blood and his white carcass sways on the waves!” Infected by the captain's furious energy, the Pequod's crew swears hatred of the White Whale, and Ahab nails a golden doubloon to the mast, intended for the first person to see Moby Dick...
The Pequod sails around the world, exposed to all the dangers of whaling. The meeting with the White Whale takes place in his “domain”, near the equator, and is preceded by a number of formidable omens. The battle with Moby Dick lasts three days and ends with the defeat of the Pequod. The White Whale smashes the whaleboats, drags Ahab into the depths of the sea and finally sinks the ship and its crew. Only the narrator is saved - he is picked up by another whaler.
What suggested this plot to the writer?
Whaling historians testify that in early XIX century, among the harpooners fishing in the Pacific Ocean, there was a rumor about a giant albino sperm whale that attacked not only the whaleboats pursuing it, but also whaling ships. Some claimed that the “white giant of the seven seas” attacked the whaling ship without any reason, others - that only after they stuck a harpoon in its back. Even after breaking his head, he allegedly continued to ram the side of the ship again and again, and when it sank, he circled the surface, destroying the surviving people...
Among the famous whalers of the last century there would have been at least a hundred who were ready to swear on the Bible that they had seen the White Whale. His name was Moha Dik, after the island of Moha off the coast of Chile, where he was first encountered. Eyewitness stories about the albino sperm whale, embellished by the imagination of those who had never seen him, formed into legends about the man-eating whale. Their hero is an invariably large solitary male, about 20 m long and weighing at least 70 tons, aggressive, unable to get along with his fellows. Its color varies from story to story: the gigantic sperm whale is sometimes white as snow, sometimes it is light gray, and sometimes even black, but with a wide white stripe on its head. He rampaged through the vastness of the World Ocean for exactly 39 years, to his credit three whaling and two cargo ships, three barques, four schooners, eighteen whaleboats and 117 human lives. Moha Dik is believed to have been killed in 1859 by Swedish whalers in the South Pacific. When the harpoon pierced his lung, he offered no resistance: he was already too old and exhausted. In the carcass of Moss Dick, the Swedes counted 19 harpoon tips and discovered that the sperm whale was blind in his right eye... Apparently, this information was used by Melville as the basis for the novel. But are they the only ones?
ESSEX TRAGEDY
Like people, ships die in different ways. They often become victims fatal circumstances- the elements of the sea, war, evil intent, mistakes of their masters and captains. There are also cases in the world chronicle that seem completely incredible. These include the unfortunate incident with the American whaler Essex.
This three-masted bark with a displacement of 238 tons left on August 12, 1819 under the command of Captain Pollard from Nantucket Island (here, according to Melville, the last voyage of the Pequod began), heading to fishing. The flight was designed for two years:
first hunting in the South Atlantic, then in the Pacific Ocean. On November 20, 1820, the Essex was near the equator at 119 degrees west longitude when a herd of sperm whales was spotted from the mast early in the morning. Three whaleboats were launched, the first commanded by Captain Pollard himself, the second by First Mate Chase, and the third by Navigator Joy.
When there were 200 m left to the sperm whales, they went under water, but a few minutes later one of them surfaced. Chase approached him from the tail and plunged a harpoon into his back. The sperm whale turned over on its side and hit the side of the whaleboat with its fin. Water poured into the hole, and Chase had no choice but to cut the line. The sperm whale gained freedom, and the rowers, having taken off their shirts and jackets, tried to seal the hole with them. The half-flooded whaleboat barely made it to the Essex, after which Chase directed the whaler towards the whaleboats visible on the horizon. Suddenly, a huge sperm whale surfaced from the windward side; its length, according to Chase, exceeded 25 m. The ship did not have time to turn away. A powerful thud was heard, everyone was hit. Water poured into the hold through the broken hull. The whale, apparently stunned, shook its huge head and clapped its lower jaw. By order of Chase, the sailors began to pump out the water. But less than three minutes had passed when the sperm whale hit the ship again - this time on the right cheekbone. The water was rising rapidly, and it became clear to the whalers that they would not be able to save the Essex. The sailors barely had time to load navigation instruments and maps into the spare whaleboat. As soon as the whaleboat with people moved away from the sinking ship, it fell on board with a terrible creak. Only ten minutes have passed since the second strike...
At this time, another sperm whale was dragging Captain Pollard's whaleboat on the line. When the captain saw that the masts of his ship had disappeared, he cut the harpoon line and ordered the crew to row with all their might. Approaching the Essex lying on board, Pollard tried to save it. But the water, filling the hold, displaced the air from it, and the Essex slowly sank. Nevertheless, the sailors managed to get inside the ship; three whaleboats (and by this time Joy had arrived) were loaded with two barrels of biscuits, about 200 gallons of water, two compasses, some carpentry tools and a dozen living elephant turtles taken in the Galapagos.
Soon the Essex sank. In the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, three whaleboats remained, housing twenty sailors. Each person received half a pint of water and one biscuit per day. During one of the storms, the whaleboats lost each other. A month later, Pollard's whaleboat approached the tiny uninhabited island of Dasi, the sailors were able to replenish their meager supplies. Three expressed a desire to stay, Pollard and three other sailors continued sailing to the southeast...
The odyssey of the Essex whalers was tragic. Navigator Joy's whaleboat went missing. Chase and his two sailors were rescued by the English brig Indian on the 91st day of the voyage. Five days later, the whaler Dauphin picked up a whaleboat with Captain Pollard and sailor Ramsdell. Finally, the British warship Surrey. removed the three “Robinsons” remaining there from Dasi Island...
Undoubtedly, the fates of the two ships - the Essex and the Pequod invented by Melville - are almost the same. But is it just chance behind this similarity?
Moby Dick was released in New York in 1851. Few Soviet readers know that ten years earlier, the whaling ship Acushnet, on which Melville was then sailing as a sailor, accidentally met in the ocean with another whaler, whose crew included William Chace, the son of Owen Chace from the Essex. It was he who showed the young Melville a printed edition of the memoirs of “Essex”, written by his father six months after the completion of the ill-fated odyssey. The terrible confession made a very strong impression on the future writer and most likely gave him the idea for the novel. Of course, he was aware of other cases of sperm whale attacks on ships and whaleboats, recorded in documents.
MARINE CHRONICLES TESTIFY
In July 1840, the English whaling brig Desmond was 215 miles from Valparaiso. The cry of the observer from the crow's nest brought the entire team to their feet. Two miles away, a lone sperm whale swam slowly. The captain ordered two whaleboats to be lowered. Making a sharp turn, the whale rushed towards them. Its color was more dark gray than black, and a three-meter white scar was visible on its huge head. The sperm whale hit the first whaleboat with its head, and it flew into the air. The rowers fell into the water like peas from a spoon. Turning over on its side and opening its terrible mouth, the sperm whale chewed the fragile little boat to pieces, then went into the depths. About fifteen minutes later he emerged and launched a new attack - with a strong blow of his head he threw the second whaleboat into the air. The sound of breaking wood mingled with the cries of the whalers, maddened by fear. Having described a smooth circle, the whale moved away. The brig arrived in time and took its sailors on board. Two of them died from their wounds.
A month later, five hundred miles south of this place, a sperm whale was spotted from the Russian bark Sarepta. The hunt ended successfully: two whaleboats towed the whale carcass. They were three miles from the Sarepta when another sperm whale appeared - a large gray male. He jumped out of the water, fell on his belly with a deafening noise and began attacking the whaleboats. He smashed the first one into pieces with a blow of his head. The foreman of the second managed to place his boat behind the carcass of a killed sperm whale, then, cutting the harpoon line, picked up the floating people, and the rowers leaned on the oars with all their might. The whaleboat returned safely to the Sarepta, which slowly circled around the dead whale. However, the gray sperm whale did not leave the prey of the Russian whalers, and, deciding not to tempt fate, they went south.
In May 1841, the whaler John Dye was fishing in the South Atlantic between Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). A giant sperm whale surfaced from the depths a hundred meters from the side gray. He almost completely jumped out of the water, stood on his tail for a few seconds and fell with a deafening noise.
Then he sailed several hundred meters away and seemed to be waiting for the whaleboats. The first mate managed to approach the sperm whale from behind and accurately throw the harpoon. The sperm whale, having dived, dragged the whaleboat for three miles, then stopped, surfaced and rushed to attack the whalers. A blow to the head, two or three strokes of the tail - and the whaleboat turned into a pile of floating chips. Two whalers were killed, the rest floated among the wreckage. Having sailed a hundred meters, the sperm whale waited. The captain, not wanting to lose valuable booty, sent two more whaleboats to the place of the duel. The team of one of them managed to pick up the end of a line stretching to a harpoon sticking out of the whale’s back. Feeling the pain, he rushed under the water again, then emerged exactly under the bottom of the third whaleboat and threw it with his head five meters into the air. By some miracle, everyone remained intact, but the whaleboat sank. When the wet, exhausted, terrified whalers (they were picked up by a second whaleboat) boarded the John Day, the monster was still at the scene of the fight.
In October 1842, off the east coast of Japan, a large gray sperm whale attacked a coastal schooner. The head impact was so strong that the ship actually lost its stern. It remained afloat only thanks to the load of timber, although it sat in the water up to the upper deck. The team managed to build a raft from the logs... The captains of three whalers who happened to be nearby - the Scottish "Chiff", the English "Dudley" and the "Yankee" from the port of New Beckford - after consulting, decided to put an end to the robber whale and get rid of Moss forever Dick. The search was short-lived - the sperm whale seemed to be looking for a meeting on its own. He surfaced a mile from the whalers, stood upright on his tail for a few seconds, then with a terrible splash fell flat and went under the water again. Six whaleboats rushed to this place - two from each whaler. Keith was the first to attack, but missed and was hit in the back by a harpoon from an American whaleboat. For five minutes he went into the water and showed no signs of life, but then, suddenly appearing on the surface, with a blow of his tail he smashed the Scots' whaleboat and immediately rushed towards the English whaleboat. Behind him on the line was a whaleboat from the Yankee. The British dodged at first, but after a few seconds their whaleboat found itself in the giant mouth of a whale that had turned over on its side. Raising his head, the sperm whale shook it from side to side, like a cat catching a mouse. Pieces of wood fell into the water, along with the mutilated remains of two sailors who did not manage to jump into the water in time. Then, already freed from the towed cargo (the Americans cut the line in a panic), the whale accelerated and struck with its head the side of a half-submerged schooner abandoned by people. And disappeared from sight...
Aboard the Scottish whaler, they were providing aid to the injured when he reappeared on the “battlefield.” He tried to hit the bottom of the “Chiff” with his head, but missed, nevertheless, he tore off the copper trim from the stem with his back and demolished the bowsprit along with the jig. After that, he sailed a few hundred meters, “went adrift” and calmly watched as three whalers, having raised all sails, hastily went into the ocean...
In 1850, a whaleboat from the American barque Parker Cook harpooned a large sperm whale in the Central Atlantic. Instead of going into the depths, as usually happens, the wounded animal dived under the bottom of the whaleboat and overturned it. The harpoon line snapped around the helmsman's shin, cutting through the muscle to the bone. Having contrived, the sailor managed to cut the line, but lost consciousness from loss of blood and had to be urgently taken to the barque. As soon as the people were on the deck of the whaler, the whale launched an attack on the ship. The blow to the head hit the right cheekbone, soon followed by a second, but less strong: apparently, the wound was serious and the animal lost a lot of blood. However, it was already overclocked for new attack; the captain, armed with harpoons with explosive heads, came out on a whaleboat to meet them. Turning over on its side and opening its deadly mouth, the sperm whale rushed at the whaleboat. The man was a second quicker: the harpoon hit the whale’s throat and exploded. But the sperm whale did not give up! He tried to attack the whaleboat twice more, and only the third explosive harpoon calmed him down forever...
A few months later, the American whaler Pocahontas encountered a large herd of whales off the coast of Argentina. Two whaleboats headed towards them. One harpoon hit the target, the whaleboat came almost close, and the captain's mate prepared to throw the second harpoon. Suddenly the sperm whale overturned on its side, opened its mouth and bit the whaleboat in two. The people survived, but two of them were seriously injured. A second whaleboat arrived to help, but the whale did not leave, it circled near the wreckage, from time to time “testing” the oars, mast, and pieces of plating. The Pocahontas was commanded by Joseph Diaz, a 28-year-old sailor nicknamed "The Boy Captain." Despite the pleas of the wounded - and they had already been delivered to the ship by a second whaleboat - and the persuasion of experienced whalers, he decided to attack the whale again, this time directly from the Pocahontas. The sailors, armed with harpoons and spears, were huddled on the forecastle. Just before the stem, the whale dodged to the side, however, one of the harpoons pierced its back. Captain Diaz continued the pursuit, the whaler's speed was two knots. Suddenly - and the distance between the ship and the whale at that moment was about 100 m - the whale itself rushed to attack. His speed was three times greater. The blow hit the right cheekbone, the crack of breaking boards was heard, and a hole formed below the waterline. There was no question of further hunting - only with great difficulty did Diaz manage to bring the ship safely to the nearest port.
On August 20, 1851, three sperm whales were spotted from the mast of the American whaler Anne Alexander, which was fishing in the South Atlantic. Then everything happened according to the usual scenario for us: two whaleboats rushed towards the whales, the wounded sperm whale turned one of them into a pile of floating debris. Fortunately, the people remained unharmed. Another whaleboat arrived to help; the same unenviable fate awaited him. The only remaining boat, heavily overloaded (there were now 18 people on it), escaped. Nevertheless, the whaler's captain, John Deblo, decided to continue the hunt - from the ship. Another harpoon stuck into the sperm whale's back. The whale went under the water, and after some time the ship was shaken by a strong blow: it seemed as if it had hit a reef at full speed. According to Deblo, the speed of the sperm whale at the time of the collision reached 15 knots. Water rushed into the hold in a powerful stream. The team hastily boarded two whaleboats; After some time, the Anne Alexander capsized to starboard and then sank. But fate was more favorable to Deblo and his people than at one time to the crew of the Essex - the next day both whaleboats were picked up by the whaler Nantucket.
Just three months later, the novel Moby Dick was published. Having learned about the tragedy of Anne Alexandra, Melville said: “I am convinced that it was Moby Dick himself... Has my art really resurrected this monster?”
Soon the whaler "Rebecca Simms" from New Bedford killed a huge sperm whale with pieces of planking stuck in its head, and two harpoons sticking out of its side with the inscription: "Anne Alexander." But Moby Dick continued to live... For example, on March 19, 1885, a large sperm whale rammed the English schooner Waterloo, hitting its hull with terrible force behind the foremast and knocking down the foremast with its tail. The schooner sank, the crew was rescued the same day by French fishermen. The American whaling bark Kathleen suffered exactly the same fate. What can I say, similar cases occurred even in the middle of the 20th century.
In 1947, off the Commander Islands, the Soviet whaler Enthusiast harpooned a 17-meter sperm whale. Having turned around, he hit the ship’s hull with his head at a speed of about 20 km/h. As a result, the propeller shaft was bent, the propeller was torn off, and the rudder was disabled. The sperm whale, as it later turned out, received only shallow cuts on its head from this collision.
whaling floating base “Slava”
In 1948, in Antarctica, a harpooned sperm whale attacked the whaler Slava-10 twice. The first impact left a dent in the hull, the second one broke off the propeller blades.
There are also documented cases of ships dying as a result of attacks by enraged sperm whales. How many of the missing suffered the same fate?..
Why do sperm whales attack ships and whaleboats? Is it only in self-defense? This is how the famous one answers this question American specialist on marine mammals Victor Sheffer. “As a zoologist, I cannot help but be interested in the reasons for this behavior of the robber whale. What is this - physiological or mental pathology?
When a stranger approaches a recently whelped bitch, she immediately attacks him. When a stranger approaches a hungry dog, he reacts in the same way. The need for such a reaction is obvious: it helps preserve the species. But why would a whale attack a ship? Perhaps this is due to a strong territorial instinct, which is based on sexual instinct. Of all the whales, only male sperm whales attack ships. It is also known that of all large whales Only male sperm whales guard the harem and fight with rivals for the possession of females.
male (top) and female
And perhaps, when a “male ship” enters the territory of such a male, the sperm whale perceives this as a threat to its position and rushes to attack.
Some zoologists point out that among terrestrial animals such battles for territory are fought more often than for the possession of individual females. However, when we're talking about about the inhabitants of the limitless, three-dimensional water world, the question arises: what defines the territory here?
Perhaps the hooligan sperm whale attacks the ship only because he sees it as a rival, and the reason for his exaggerated jealousy is an overly heightened territorial instinct.
It is possible, of course, that the aggressor whales are really “mad”, that is, they were born defective or, in their whale fashion, “lost their minds” under some extraordinary circumstances...”
This is the opinion of a specialist, and it is up to the reader to agree or disagree with him. But the fact remains: sperm whales have more than once sent ships to the bottom, and not just whaling ones. And Herman Melville does not sin at all against the truth when he describes Moby Dick’s attack on the ship, which ended in the death of the latter along with the entire crew. Lev SKRYAGIN Fig. Roberta AVOTINA
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You can also determine which whale breaks underwater by the fountain it emits. For example, at smooth whale The fountain has two jets; the sei whale has a conical fountain. The fountain of the sperm whale and the humpback whale is pear-shaped, but in the first case it is inclined forward at an angle of 45°.
Whale jumping out of the water is one of the most exciting spectacles in the animal world. “Emerging from the dark depths at extreme speed,” wrote G. Melvml in “Moby Dick,” “the sperm whale flies with all its weight high into the air and, churning up a whole mountain of dazzling foam, reveals its location to everyone within a radius of seven miles or more. The furious waves, torn to shreds, then seem to be his mane...” The execution of the jump begins with the whale, swimming more or less parallel to the surface of the water, picking up speed. It raises the tail fin and lifts its head upward, thereby changing the horizontal moment of movement to vertical. The whale jumps out of the water at an angle of up to 70° to the surface. He falls back into the water either on his belly (straight jump) or, most often, on his back (jump with a turn).
This table, “The frequency of jumping and the roundness of a whale’s body,” was compiled by English zoologist Hal Wighead, whose article “Why Whales Jump” was published in the journal “In the World of Science” (No. 5, 1985). It follows from the table: the more rounded the outline of a whale, the more often it jumps. Roundness is measured by the ratio average weight body to the cube of its length. “Slender” whales are the least jumping, although from the point of view of hydrodynamics, the shape of their body is favorable for this activity. Apparently, round whales, unlike “slender” ones, are characterized by certain types of social activities that are accompanied by jumping, especially when the animals accumulate in traditional breeding grounds in winter. The jumping of whales is one of the ways they communicate with each other.
ancestor
kraken
skeleton
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