having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes
from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the
animal's head, due to its resemblance to semen.

The sperm whale's distinctive shape comes from its very large
head, which is typically one-third of the animal's length.
The blowhole is located very close to the front of the
head and shifted to the whale's left. This gives rise to a
distinctive bushy, forward-angled spray.

The flukes of a sperm whale as it dives into the Gulf of Mexico
(courtesy NMFS)The sperm whale's flukes are triangular and very thick.
The whale lifts its flukes high out of the water as it begins a
dive.It has a series of ridges on the back's caudal third instead of a
dorsal fin. The largest ridge was called the 'hump' by whalers, and can
be mistaken for a dorsal fin because of its shape.

In contrast to the smooth skin of most large whales, its back skin is
usually knobbly and has been likened to a prune by whale-watching enthusiasts.
Skin is normally a uniform grey in colour, though it may appear brown in sunlight.
Albinos have also been reported

Facts