[arkland]

I just watched a show on sperm whales the other night on discovery and it said that they were the most bad ass animal around and that not even a giant squid could kill it. So ya Discovery channel owns your face.

[Tucuxi]

I unfortunately missed that program because my dorm room doesn't have cable. I wish I could have seen it. I agree, sperm whales are badass, but they are not invincible. They are flesh and blood just like us. Non-human animals aside, look what WE did to them. We almost caused their extinction. I encourage all who are interested in sperm whales to watch an episode of Ocean Wilds called Realm of the Killer Whales/ Sperm Whale Oasis. The sperm whale segment demonstrated how calm and gentle they can be, as well as evidence of their striking intelligence. The movie is available on DVD on the PBS website.

[Purplos]

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If inhaled, even a wallaby could kill any sperm whale...

ROFL!! (Okay, so I didn't actually roll....)

I just watched a documentary wherein a pod of orcas killes a humpback whale. They could probably take out a sperm whale as well.

[Tucuxi]

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If inhaled, even a wallaby could kill any sperm whale...

LOL!

Just a funnier way of saying, they aren't invincible. The visual I got in my head was...amazing.

[draconic chronicler]

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I unfortunately missed that program because my dorm room doesn't have cable. I wish I could have seen it. I agree, sperm whales are badass, but they are not invincible. They are flesh and blood just like us. Non-human animals aside, look what WE did to them. We almost caused their extinction. I encourage all who are interested in sperm whales to watch an episode of Ocean Wilds called Realm of the Killer Whales/ Sperm Whale Oasis. The sperm whale segment demonstrated how calm and gentle they can be, as well as evidence of their striking intelligence. The movie is available on DVD on the PBS website.

I do not believe there is any scientific evidence of orcas killing an adult sperm whale, includin the smaller females. They are documented as harrying the mothers and drowning Sperm whale calves and eating them when the mother abandones the baby's carcass.

On the other hand, Sperm whales are known to swallow fairly large sharks whole, as well as other marine mammals. It is probable there have been occassions when a very large bull SpermWhale may have eaten juvenile killer whales. Sperm whales tend to eat only those animals they can swallow whole, because they have teeth only in their bottom jaws.

It is fully documented that one large Bull Sperm Whale deliberately sunk a large whaling ship. Once learning this act, it is possible it could have sunk many other ships if threatened again, but we will never know if there were no surviviors to tell the tale. If these bulls were not so antagonistic to one another, and more like orcas, it is possible they could have taught each other how to destroy human vessels, and the history of whaling could have been altogether different.

So in a way, in the 19th century of wooden hull ships, for all the previous period of human history, this particular bull Sperm whale, was indeed the "baddest" creature in the world. I hope he sunk many, many more whaling ships.

[Tucuxi]

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I do not believe there is any scientific evidence of orcas killing an adult sperm whale, includin the smaller females. They are documented as harrying the mothers and drowning Sperm whale calves and eating them when the mother abandones the baby's carcass.

On the other hand, Sperm whales are known to swallow fairly large sharks whole, as well as other marine mammals. It is probable there have been occassions when a very large bull SpermWhale may have eaten juvenile killer whales. Sperm whales tend to eat only those animals they can swallow whole, because they have teeth only in their bottom jaws.

It is fully documented that one large Bull Sperm Whale deliberately sunk a large whaling ship. Once learning this act, it is possible it could have sunk many other ships if threatened again, but we will never know if there were no surviviors to tell the tale. If these bulls were not so antagonistic to one another, and more like orcas, it is possible they could have taught each other how to destroy human vessels, and the history of whaling could have been altogether different.

So in a way, in the 19th century of wooden hull ships, for all the previous period of human history, this particular bull Sperm whale, was indeed the "baddest" creature in the world. I hope he sunk many, many more whaling ships.

Hey now, I said some of that stuff already. Wait, why did you quote one of my posts? I don't see a direct response to it. I can back up a lot of the stuff you are saying, though. This has nothing to do with you, but I just wanted to voice the fact that I'm getting a feeling that people aren't taking me seriously and it just because I'm new. It's sad, because I communicate more coherently than at least several members of these forums. *sigh* I hate being the new kid...

This post has been edited by Tucuxi: 12 December 2006 - 04:45 AM

[Hitchhiker]

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I bet humans could kill sperm whales.

Indeed. And we have proven quite good at it too. Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. TEACH a man to fish and he'll kill every living thing in the ocean.

[frogfish]

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Hey now, I said some of that stuff already. Wait, why did you quote one of my posts? I don't see a direct response to it. I can back up a lot of the stuff you are saying, though. This has nothing to do with you, but I just wanted to voice the fact that I'm getting a feeling that people aren't taking me seriously and it just because I'm new. It's sad, because I communicate more coherently than at least several members of these forums. *sigh* I hate being the new kid...

Don't worry Tucuxi, just ignore that stuff.

[clockworkgirl21]

Can someone just answer me something...where does this whale get its name? It's a very strange name!



Anyway, is anyone as scared of sperm whales as me? I've actually had nightmares about them. They're so scary looking. I can't even watch them on TV.

[SilverCougar]

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Can someone just answer me something...where does this whale get its name? It's a very strange name!
Anyway, is anyone as scared of sperm whales as me? I've actually had nightmares about them. They're so scary looking. I can't even watch them on TV.

>.>

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Humans have hunted and killed sperm whales centuries ago. ;P Well heck even right into the mid of last century. Mainly for what gives the sperm whale it's name. Inside a cavity in the whale's head holds this fine fatty substence that was used for lamp oils and lubrications for verious machines. Even the space shuttles use it... (though Nasa only has a certain amount remaining since hunting sperm whales had become illegal)

[clockworkgirl21]

But why sperm whale?

[SilverCougar]

Because that substance looks like sperm...

The whale was named after the milky-white substance spermaceti found in its head and originally mistaken for sperm.

click

[dantheman2435]

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I bet humans could kill sperm whales.

Of course they can, cause we used to hunt them, but you probably know that.

[Kelp]

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I've never personally heard of an instance of a pod or orcas taking down a sperm whale, but I'm willing to bet money it has happened. I know the transient mammal eating orcas off of the Pacific coast of the United Stated have killed and eaten gray whale calves. They do this by wedging their bodies between the mother and calf, then they body slam the calf until it becomes exhausted and the group can more easily hold it beneath the surface to drown it. I'll bet the orcas would go after sperm whale calves in a similar manner. However, unlike gray whales, sperm whales have teeth and they are much faster. A lone orca would not stand a chance against a fully grown sperm whale. I would never underestimate a pod of orcas, though. Just because sperm whales are not members of the dolphin family does not mean they are less intelligent than the the members of delphinidae. Sperm whales have highly developed social orders and we believe they are capable, like dolphins, of logic and reasoning. Beaked whales are thought to be similarly capapble, especially those who frequently interact with their other members of their species. That being said, I simply doubt a pod of orca would bother with the extremely difficult task of killing a sperm whale. It does not seem worth their while. It's almost certain there will be something not too far away that would be much easier to kill and far less dangerous. As a side note, when orcas kill a large cetacean, they usually only eat the tongue and the blubber. The only way I can see a pod of orcas attacking a sperm whale is if they attacked an injured/sick/old individual in SHALLOW waters. A healthy individual in the deep pelagic ocean could easily escape simply by diving. Orcas cannot dive nearly as deep or hold their breath as long as a sperm whale.

Check this out:

http://findarticles....107/ai_53378967

(I was rooting for the sperm whales)

[Archosaur]

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I do not believe there is any scientific evidence of orcas killing an adult sperm whale, includin the smaller females. They are documented as harrying the mothers and drowning Sperm whale calves and eating them when the mother abandones the baby's carcass.

On the other hand, Sperm whales are known to swallow fairly large sharks whole, as well as other marine mammals. It is probable there have been occassions when a very large bull SpermWhale may have eaten juvenile killer whales. Sperm whales tend to eat only those animals they can swallow whole, because they have teeth only in their bottom jaws.

It is fully documented that one large Bull Sperm Whale deliberately sunk a large whaling ship. Once learning this act, it is possible it could have sunk many other ships if threatened again, but we will never know if there were no surviviors to tell the tale. If these bulls were not so antagonistic to one another, and more like orcas, it is possible they could have taught each other how to destroy human vessels, and the history of whaling could have been altogether different.

So in a way, in the 19th century of wooden hull ships, for all the previous period of human history, this particular bull Sperm whale, was indeed the "baddest" creature in the world. I hope he sunk many, many more whaling ships.

I second the hope.

That the sperm whale would actually fight back against his attackers was often puffed up to show how heroic whalers of the time were to take on such monsters attacking ships and men. The only attacks we ever hear of are on whalers attacking them of course. Modern whales know who is threating them as well: they will allow many ships to approach, yet flee whaling vessels. Compare this to most creatures that when they get skittish of man, avoid all human contact.

I have also I have read reports of modern bull sperm whales trying to take on modern metal-hulled ships, and snap at harpoon gunners, with universally fatal results for the whales. Still, at least they go down fighting, rather than letting themselves be run down, exhausted, and placidly slaughtered.

I have read some reports and tales of sperm whales crushing whaling boats in their jaws, and even swallowing some of the crewmen whole.