Sperm whale vs Blue whale? The Main Differences Between a Sperm Whale and Blue Whale
Sperm whale vs Blue whale. The blue whale is one of the largest animals on Earth and it lives in every ocean. But what makes the blue whale different from the sperm whale? Let’s take a look at some of the most important differences between these two species.
Size:
Whale sharks are very large fish, growing up to 40 feet long and weighing up to 10 tons. They are considered a suborder of elasmobranchs, which includes rays and skates. A sperm whale is slightly smaller, measuring about 15 feet long and weighing about 5 tons.
Appearance:
A sperm whale has a blocky head, with an S shaped blowhole. In contrast, the blue whale has a long, slender body with a rounded tail fin.
Here are some things you might not know about blue and sperm whales, the biggest animals ever known to swim the earth.
1. They both look like giant fish, but one is blue and the other is white.
2. Both species live in the ocean, but the blue whale lives in colder waters while the sperm whale lives in warmer waters.
3. There are over 40 different types of whales, but there are only three kinds of blue whales and four kinds of sperm whales.
4. Blue whales are usually found alone, while sperm whales tend to travel in groups.
5. A sperm whale can weigh up to 200 tons, while a blue whale can weigh as much as 200 times more than that.
6. Blue whales eat krill, squid, octopuses, shrimp, crabs, clams, small fish and plankton.
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale is the third deep-diving mammal worldwide. They are known for their large brains and complex social behavior. This species is found throughout the world’s oceans. Their diet consists mostly of squid, fish, octopuses and crustaceans.
This video features a male sperm whale with his calf swimming together off the coast of New Zealand. He dives into the water column repeatedly while his calf follows along. At times he surfaces briefly to breathe air. When he does, she stays close to him. She doesn’t seem to mind being underwater for long periods of time.
Appearance
The sperm whale is one of three species of baleen whales. Baleen is a long, thin structure used to filter food from water. A single fin runs along the length of the body, helping the animal to navigate. This fin allows the sperm whale to swim slowly while keeping its head above the surface. Its eyes are located on the sides of its face rather than directly under its nose like most cetaceans, giving it a distinct look.
Habitat
The sperm whale is one of the few species of cetaceans that lives near shorelines. This makes it vulnerable to human activity such as fishing gear and ship strikes. Commercial hunting of sperm whales began in the 19th century, and continued into the early 20th century. By the 1950s, most sperm whales had been killed off their coasts, and the population declined dramatically.
Today, there are about 3,500 sperm whales left worldwide. Scientists estimate that the number of sperm whales living today is less than half what it was just over 50 years ago.
Diet
The diet of sperm whales includes squid, octopus, fish, sharks, rays, crabs, clams, sea cucumbers, eels and shrimp. Their teeth are used as weapons during mating season. Scientists believe the teeth are used to stun prey and keep it down while the whale eats. A study published in 2016 found that sperm whales had the largest brain size relative to body weight among mammals. Researchers concluded that the large brains allowed the species to process complex information.
Facts about Sperm Whales
The sperm whale has a large head with a long snout and small eyes. Its mouth is located under its chin, and it has no teeth. Instead, it uses its tongue to filter food out of water. It has a thick layer of blubber to protect itself against cold temperatures. A pair of flippers helps propel the whale forward through the water.
A male sperm whale becomes sexually mature around 18 years old and females start reproducing around 9 years old. Males reach sexual maturity at 15 years old and females reach reproductive capacity at 10 years old.
Thespermwhalewas once hunted extensively for oil and meat. However, due to overhunting, the population declined rapidly. In the early 1900s, there were approximately 200,000 sperm whales worldwide. Today, numbers are much lower and fluctuate greatly. There are currently fewer than 30,000 individuals left.
In 2017, a study found that sperm whales have the largest brain of any living animal. Scientists estimate that the brain weighs anywhere from 5 to 8 kg, making the sperm whale’s brain larger than that of humans.
Blue Whale
The largest known animal to have ever existed is the blue whale. This giant mammal can grow up to 30 metres long and weigh over 200 tons. They live in the deep oceans of the world, where temperatures can reach -1°C. Their diet consists mainly of krill and small fish. Despite being such big creatures, they spend most of their lives underwater – diving down to depths of 2,500m. In fact, it takes them about 20 minutes to surface again.
In the wild, blue whales feed off Antarctica and the North Pole, but there are now fewer than 10,000 left in the whole world. They are listed as critically endangered, due to hunting, pollution and climate change. But thanks to conservation efforts, numbers are slowly increasing.