How big does a Sperm whale get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Sperm whale (Physeter catodon) reaches an average size of 12.18 meter (40′ 0″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 77 years, they grow from 903.14 kg (1991.09 lbs) to 14527.31 kg (32027.19 lbs). The Sperm whale (genus: Physeter) is a member of the family Physeteridae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The sperm whale or cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to 20 years, and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of killer whales (orcas).Mature males average 16 metres (52 ft) in length but some may reach 20.7 metres (68 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal’s length. Plunging to 2,250 metres (7,382 ft), it is the third deepest diving mammal, exceeded only by the Southern elephant seal and Cuvier’s beaked whale. The sperm whale uses echolocation and vocalization as loud as 230 decibels (re 1 µPa m) underwater. It has the largest brain on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human’s. Sperm whales can live 70 years or more.Spermaceti (sperm oil), from which the whale derives its name, was a prime target of the whaling industry, and was sought after for use in oil lamps, lubricants, and candles. Ambergris, a solid waxy waste product sometimes present in its digestive system, is still highly valued as a fixative in perfumes, among other uses. Beachcombers look out for ambergris as flotsam. Sperm whaling was a major industry in the 19th century, depicted in the novel Moby-Dick. The species is protected by the International Whaling Commission moratorium, and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Animals of the same family as a Sperm whale
We found other animals of the Physeteridae family:
- Dwarf sperm whale with a size of 2.16 meter (7′ 1″)
- Dwarf sperm whale with a size of 2.16 meter (7′ 2″)
- Pygmy sperm whale with an average maximal age of 17 years
Animals with the same size as a Sperm whale
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Sperm whale:
- Bowhead whale with a size of 12.2 meter (40′ 1″)
- Bryde’s whale with a size of 13.85 meter (45′ 6″)
- Gray whale with a size of 11.84 meter (38′ 11″)
- North Atlantic right whale with a size of 13.92 meter (45′ 9″)
- Humpback whale with a size of 12.87 meter (42′ 3″)
- Southern right whale with a size of 14.15 meter (46′ 6″)
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Sperm whale
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Sperm whale:
- Bryde’s whale with an average maximal age of 72 years
- Short-finned pilot whale with an average maximal age of 63 years
- Dugong with an average maximal age of 70 years
- Gray whale with an average maximal age of 77 years
- Berardius with an average maximal age of 71 years
- Sei whale with an average maximal age of 74 years
- African bush elephant with an average maximal age of 80 years
- Horse with an average maximal age of 62 years
- Asian elephant with an average maximal age of 80 years