Sperm whales love eating squid! Male sperm whales dive up to 2,250 meters, and females up to around 1,100 meters to hunt. While hunting, it is often quite dark, because sunlight cannot penetrate the water to great depths. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalous) have several ways of finding squid in deep waters. When there is still some light, sperm whales can find squid silhouetted against the midwater. Sometimes squid produce bioluminescence when they move, which can help sperm whales track their prey. Sperm whales themselves can also create a zone of stimulated bioluminescence around their mouth, to attract squids and other visual predators. And, of course, Sperm whales rely heavily on their echolocation or sonar to navigate, find prey and hunt.
by Judith Kok
