Have you ever wondered that there is an animal in the ocean whose call can penetrate thousands of kilometers of water and even communicate with each other at opposite ends of the planet? This animal is the sperm whale, a large, mysterious cetacean with amazing sounds.
The sperm whale is the largest known toothed whale and one of the largest predators. They can reach a length of 18 meters and weigh more than 50 tons. Their heads make up one-third of their entire bodies, and they have a huge organ called the "brain oil chamber," which stores large amounts of fat and oil wax, helping them regulate buoyancy and make sounds.
The sperm whale's call is very loud, reaching 230 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise of a jet aircraft. There are two main types of their calls: one is a low-frequency pulsing sound for navigation and detecting the environment; The other is a high-frequency whistling sound for communication and courtship. The sperm whale call can travel far underwater and sometimes across entire ocean basins. Scientists have recorded that two sperm whales 15,000 kilometers apart between the Caribbean Sea and the Indian Ocean make calls of the same frequency.
Why do sperm whales make such strong calls? There are several possible causes.
Sperm whales are solitary animals that usually move alone or in small groups and rarely mix with other cetaceans. Therefore, they need to use powerful calls to stay in touch, find a mate, or warn their enemies. Secondly, sperm whales are deep-diving animals that can dive into the deep sea below 2,000 meters in search of food such as squid, octopus, fish, etc. In such a dark and cold environment, sight and smell are almost ineffective, and only hearing can help them locate prey and obstacles. Therefore, they need to emit echolocation signals with a powerful call. Finally, sperm whales may also be an animal that likes to express its emotions and personality. Their calls sometimes change in frequency, tempo, pitch, and volume, as if they were singing or talking. Scientists believe that these calls may reflect their mood, character, identity and intentions.
The sound of sperm whales is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the ocean. However, they also face many threats and dilemmas. In the past, they used to be hunted because the oil wax in their brain oil chambers could be made into high-value spices. Now, their biggest enemy is human noise pollution. Ships, sonar, drilling, blasting and other activities in the ocean will produce a lot of noise, interfere with and even damage their auditory system, make them unable to emit and receive sound signals normally, causing them to lose direction, lose contact, reduce reproductive rates, increase stress and death risks. To protect these loudest animals, we need to reduce noise pollution in the ocean and give them a quiet and peaceful home.
In addition to noise pollution, sperm whales are affected by other factors. For example, climate change will lead to higher ocean temperatures, melting sea ice, rising sea levels, and changes in ocean currents, all of which will affect their living space and food sources. In addition, plastic litter, chemical pollutants, fishing nets, etc. in the ocean can also endanger their health and safety. Sperm whales are an endangered species with only about 100,000 individuals worldwide. We need to strengthen their protection and research, understand their habits and needs, respect their existence and values, and let them sing their voices freely in the ocean.