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Nature | Whales | Wildlife
How Sperm Whales Bend The Rules of Biology With Their Deep Sea Dives
It’s so much more impressive than people realize.
Submarines have accidentally torpedoed whales after mistaking them for enemy subs.
During World War II, picture guides were even written on how to distinguish the two. Fortunately, modern equipment has now spared these creatures from meeting this fate.
But it highlights a whale’s presence as a true mammalian submarine and it is no coincidence that a sub’s design resembles a whale.
The sperm whale’s capacity to dive deep is highly underappreciated and, I’d wager, would surprise Charles Darwin himself.
“Piece of cake,” I thought.
I was floating in the ocean near Bermuda, staring down through the clear azure waters, seeing brightly colored fish darting around among the small coral formations.
There was a beautiful, bright shell on the sea floor about 25–35 meters below me. I decided to go for it.
I was a Division 1 swimmer at the time. My lung capacity was superb. I could hold my breath for several minutes. So, naturally, I assumed this would be an easy get.
