Sperm whale ©M.Dewynter/CARIMAM

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)©C.Pusineri/ONCFS

- TAXONOMY
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetartiodactyla
Infraorder : Cetacea
Parvorder : Odontoceti
Family: Physeteridae
Common names:
English: Sperm whale
Spanish: Cachalote
French: Cachalot

- MORPHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
Morphology: Massive body and large squared head. Small dorsal fin followed by a series of bumps along the midline from dorsal hump to fluke. Small, paddle-shaped flippers. Large triangular fluke.
Color and patterns: Dark and uniform.
Body length: 14-16 m for males, 9-11 m for females.
Group size: female unit size is small 7-9 whales, while males can be seen alone or with units of females
Specific behavior: Powerful blow, oriented at 45° on the left front. Feeds at depth (650-850m m in the Caribbean) during generally 30-40 min, then goes back to the surface for about ten minutes. It can also be observed resting or socializing, at the surface. Related females and young live in social groups called units.
Feeding: Feeds mainly on large cephalopods in deep oceanic waters.
Acoustic: Its vocalizations are powerful and very characteristic, in the form of two distinct click types: one for echolocation to find squid and navigate, and one to communicate called coda clicks.

- DISTRIBUTION
Global distribution: Sperm whales inhabit all of the world’s oceans, from the equator to the edge of the ice pack. Units of females and young usually occur at latitudes below 40°. Mature males undertake journeys between cold waters to feed and tropical and subtropical waters to breed.
Sightings in the Wider Caribbean region: The species is found throughout the Wider Caribbean region, particularly along continental shelve slopes and island slopes, between the 300- and 3 000-meters depth isobaths.

- CONSERVATION
Threats recorded in the Wider Caribbean region:Entanglements in Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and in ghost fishing gear, collision with large vessels and underwater noise produced during geophysical seismic surveys, military (naval) training exercises, marine debris and landbased plastic pollution.
IUCN status: classified as VU (Vulnerable) globally, VU in the regional red lists of Venezuela, and French Guiana, and EN (Endangered) in Martinique.
IUCN SPAW: The Sperm whale is classified in Annex II of the SPAW Protocol since 1991.

Sources :
International Whaling Commission
De Boer, M. N. (2015). Cetaceans observed in Suriname and adjacent waters. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 10(1), 2.
IUCN (2021) The IUCN redlist of threatened species.
IUCN and Zoological Society of London (2012) National Red Lists
Jefferson T.A., Webber M.A., Pitman R.L. (2015) Marine mammals of the world : a comprehensive guide to their identification. Academic Press.
Kaschner, K., Reeves, R. (2011) LifeWeb species distribution factsheets.
NOOA (2021) Species fact sheets - Marine mammals.
Ocean Science & Logistic (2020) Guide des cétacés de Guyane française. OSL, canopée des Science, Cayenne, Guyane française.
Pusineri, C., Bordin, A., Martinez, L. et al. (In press). Cetacean community off French Guiana. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals.
Savouré-Soubelet A., Aulagnier S., Haffner P., et al. (coord.) (2016) Atlas des mammifères sauvages de France volume 1 : Mammifères marins. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris ; IRD, Marseille.
Society for marine mammalogy-Species fact sheets
SPAW-RAC. (2020). Implementation of the Action Plan for Marine Mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region: A Scientific and Technical Analysis. Authored by Vail, C. and Borobia, M. UNEP, SPAW-RAC.
Ward, N., Bogomolni, A., Potter, C. (2013) A stranding guide to marine mammals of the Wider Caribbean region : An introduction field for stranding responders. Gecko Production Inc. ISBN : 978-1-891694-00-4.