Not long ago, the submarine telegraph between Peru and Ecuador suddenly went offline. Specialists dispatched to repair the undersea cable discovered the “culprit” was actually a sperm whale. The whale had the cable entangled around its lower jaw. In its efforts to free itself from the cable, the sperm whale damaged the insulation layer, causing an electrical leak and resulting in the telegraph’s disruption.
This incident astonished experts. You see, the sperm whale is a mammal that breathes air with its lungs. Typically, mammals that dive underwater—such as seals and walruses—can only dive to depths of 30-40 meters. However, the damaged cable was located 1100 meters deep in the sea!
Why would a sperm whale dive to such depths? Biologists explain it’s for food. Unlike baleen whales, which feed mainly on tiny planktonic organisms like blue whales and humpback whales, sperm whales are toothed whales. The favorite food of sperm whales includes some aggressive squid and octopus species that reside in the deep sea currents. These formidable squid and octopuses are not easily subdued. Despite being large—typically around 20 meters long and weighing 70-80 tons—sperm whales often encounter sizable prey. For instance, one giant squid can reach up to 1.8 meters in length! To tackle such formidable opponents, sperm whales must engage in intense battles that can last tens of minutes or even an hour or two underwater, with victory usually going to the immensely powerful sperm whale.
So, how can sperm whales dive for such extended periods? Well, besides having large lungs, sperm whales utilize their blowholes. Sperm whales breathe using only their left blowhole, as the right one is closed off; this nasal passage has transformed into a massive air storage chamber. The capacity of this chamber is almost equivalent to that of the sperm whale’s lungs.
Certainly, these remarkable traits of sperm whales have evolved over a long period. Having only one blowhole may seem like a cosmetic flaw, but practically, it gives sperm whales a significant advantage. Instead of relying on a single lung for air supply, sperm whales effectively use “two lungs.” It is precisely this feature that makes the sperm whale the champion of diving among all mammals, capable of diving so deep and staying submerged for so long.