Sperm Whales – Breeding

Music, Ambiance: Sperm Whale

We’re listening to sperm whales, who – like dolphins, use sound to echolocate – finding their way around underwater. This week, male sperm whales are probably trying to find females. It’s their mating season. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Sperm whales were immortalized by the novel Moby Dick, which told how they aggressively fought back against whalers trying to harpoon them. Although they’re no longer widely hunted commercially, this month, during their breeding season, sperm whales are none the less living up to their fierce reputation.

Dozens of whales have gathered in the Indian Ocean, and there’s a lot of head-butting going on… literally. Males generally don’t have enough social standing to mate until they’re at least 20 years old, and then they still have to fight it out to see who amongst them to see who gets the chance to breed.

A few months from now, a visit with female sperm whales will present a somewhat more peaceful picture. Once the mating season is over, groups of females stay together, many of them accompanied by their young from last year’s breeding. Now, a baby whale tries to stay close to its mother, but it can’t follow her down when she dives deep to search for squid. So, while one mother’s gone hunting, the other females in the group will take care of her baby, forming a kind of nursery group.

And as for the diving whale, it’s sending out echolocation signals to help find food. Some scientists think that the whale might even stun its prey with bursts of high intensity sound.

I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Sperm Whales - Breeding

How did Moby Dick make babies? Check out the Indian Ocean this week to find out.

Air Date:04/26/2022

Scientist:

Transcript:

Sperm Whales - Breeding Music, Ambiance: Sperm Whale We're listening to sperm whales, who - like dolphins, use sound to echolocate - finding their way around underwater. This week, male sperm whales are probably trying to find females. It's their mating season. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Sperm whales were immortalized by the novel Moby Dick, which told how they aggressively fought back against whalers trying to harpoon them. Although they're no longer widely hunted commercially, this month, during their breeding season, sperm whales are none the less living up to their fierce reputation. Dozens of whales have gathered in the Indian Ocean, and there's a lot of head-butting going on... literally. Males generally don't have enough social standing to mate until they're at least 20 years old, and then they still have to fight it out to see who amongst them to see who gets the chance to breed. A few months from now, a visit with female sperm whales will present a somewhat more peaceful picture. Once the mating season is over, groups of females stay together, many of them accompanied by their young from last year's breeding. Now, a baby whale tries to stay close to its mother, but it can't follow her down when she dives deep to search for squid. So, while one mother's gone hunting, the other females in the group will take care of her baby, forming a kind of nursery group. And as for the diving whale, it's sending out echolocation signals to help find food. Some scientists think that the whale might even stun its prey with bursts of high intensity sound. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.