Amazing photographs of sperm whales

The Daily Mail has published some fascinating photographs of a pod of sperm whales feeding on giant squid off Japan.

The captivating pictures show adult sperm whales feasting on a rare giant squid. Though the squid looks small beside the enormous whales, it is thought to be an incredible eight to ten metres long.

One of the dead squid's tentacles - a leftover scrap - was measured at a jaw-dropping three-and-a-half metres long.

And experts now think the pictures could be some of the rarest ever captured beneath the ocean's surface, showing as they do the sight of five adults teaching a hungry calf how to catch its prey.

Underwater photographer Tony Wu witnessed the pod - five adults and a juvenile - devour the mammoth squid near the Ogasawara Islands in Japan earlier this month.

'It was a childhood dream come true,' said Mr Wu.




Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales in the world, inhabiting every ocean on the planet.

Researchers estimate that more than 110 million tons of squid may be consumed by the species every year.

However with feeding depths ranging beyond 800 metres deep, this behaviour has rarely been recorded.

On this once-in-a-lifetime occasion Mr Wu was lucky enough to see the adult whales appearing near the surface - and teach their calf to dive into the deep blue waters to feed on its prey.

. . .

Accompanied by underwater photographers Eric Cheng and Douglas Seifert, Mr Wu entered the water to photograph the animals with permission from local whale watching authorities.

'The group kept diving and resurfacing with the larger whale carrying the squid in its mouth,' he said. 'They kept repeating the scenario and it was a good opportunity to get them on film.

'It seemed as if the adult whales were trying to teach the baby to dive and also to eat squid.

'Female sperm whales are known to raise calfs in a collective manner and they have strong family units.'

Cephalopod expert Dr Mark Norman confirmed the images give a rare insight into the feeding ritual of the sperm whale.

'It is incredibly rare to record a sperm whale with a giant squid actually in its jaws,' said Dr Norman, Senior Curator at the Museum Victoria, Australia.

. . .

'As echolocation is pivotal for sperm whales finding their prey, it is not out of the question that the females would release the dead squid at depth and let the calf echolocate and recognise it in the dark deep water, typically around 800 m deep.'

There's more at the link, including more and larger photographs. Highly recommended reading for nature lovers.

Peter