November 15th 2024
Sperm whale with wintry weather in the Aegean today!
As difficult as the conditions at sea are for humans right now, for true sea dwellers like this male sperm whale, conditions appear to be normal. After 20-30 million years of evolution, sperm whales have perfectly adapted not only to surface conditions, but they also have the ability to dive to depths reaching 1000-2000 meters with only one breath, where they stay for 1-2 hours. There, they search for their prey in total darkness using echolocation – a remarkable sensory ability to “see underwater with sound”, much like sonar on a submarine.
The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world, with females measuring 8 – 12 meters and males 16 – 18 meters, weighing 24 and 57 tons respectively. Their lifespan is about 70 years, while their population in the Mediterranean Sea is smaller than 2,500 mature individuals. Their presence in the Greek seas has been reported since antiquity, with the first descriptions – which were impressive for their time – done by the philosopher and polymath Aristotle.
Only when we understand the wildlife of our seas, can we protect it!
Read more here https://archipelago.gr/fields-of…/marine-mammal/whales/
