Sperm whale attack. Can a whale swallow a human? Sperm whale in modern literature

Among all species of mammals, the sperm whale stands out due to its huge toothy mouth, impressive size, speed and endurance. These "sea monsters" are the only ones left alive from the entire sperm whale family. Why are they being hunted? What threat does it pose to humans? How does it live and what does it eat? All this later in the article!

Description of the sperm whale

In the open sea you can meet amazing creatures of huge sizes. One of them is the sperm whale predator whale. Its main difference from other whales is the diet. He is not interested in plankton or algae, but hunts for "bigger fish" in the truest sense of the word. They are predators that in an emergency can attack people. If you do not threaten the lives of the cubs and do not interfere with daily activities, they will not attack a person on their own.

Appearance

Sperm whales look very unusual and a little scary. The first thing that catches your eye is a huge head, which, at first glance, is larger than the body. The figure is most clearly expressed in profile, when viewed from the front, the head does not stand out and the sperm whale can be easily confused with a whale. “The bigger the body, the bigger the brain,” this rule applies to most mammals, but not to sperm whales.

The cranium contains a large amount of spongy tissue and fat, and the brain itself is only a few times the size of a human. From the spongy substance, spermaceti is extracted - a substance with a wax base. At the initial stages of the development of the chemical industry, candles, creams, the basis for ointments, and glue were made from it.

It is interesting! Only after the discovery of synthetic thickeners did humanity stop exterminating sperm whales.

Behavior and lifestyle

Every 30 minutes, sperm whales emerge from the depths to breathe in oxygen. Its respiratory system is different from that of other whales, even the jet of water released by the sperm whale is directed at an angle, not straight. Another interesting ability of this whale is a very fast dive. Despite its low speed (10 km / h), it can take a completely vertical position above the water. This is due to the powerful muscles of the tail, with which he can stun enemies or fend off rivals.

Lifespan

The female sperm whale carries the embryo in itself for almost 16 months. Only one cub can be born at a time. This limitation is due to the size of the fetus. A newborn reaches 3 meters in length and weighs almost 950 kilograms. The first year he eats exclusively milk, this allows him to grow and develop.

Important! Before the introduction of the ban on hunting, the average age of a killed individual was 12-15 years. That is, mammals did not live up to a third of their lives.

In the second year of life, he develops teeth and can hunt other fish. Females give birth only once every 3 years. Females begin mating at the age of seven, and males at the age of 10. The average life expectancy of sperm whales is 50-60 years, sometimes up to 70 years. The female retains childbearing function up to 45 years.

Sperm Whale Size

Adult males reach 20 meters in length, and weight can reach 70 tons. Females are slightly smaller in size - the weight does not exceed 30 tons, and the length is 15 m.

Range, habitats

You can meet sea titans in almost every ocean. They try to stay away from cold water, nevertheless they are often observed in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, the waters of the Bering Sea. Males can swim in the Southern Ocean. Females prefer warmer water, their geographical limit is Japan, Australia, California.

Sperm whale diet

Sperm whales eat meat and most often prey on cephalopods and small fish. They are looking for prey at a depth of up to 1.2 km, for large fish you can dive to a depth of 3-4 km.

It is interesting! During periods of prolonged starvation, sperm whales are saved by a huge supply of fat, which is consumed to maintain energy.

They can also eat carrion. Their digestive tract is able to dissolve even bones, so they never die of hunger.

Reproduction and offspring

Female sperm whales usually do not go beyond the boundaries of warm waters, so the period of mating and childbirth is not as sharply limited in them as in species whose females make constant migrations to the cold waters of both hemispheres. Sperm whales can give birth throughout the year, but most cubs are born in autumn. For the Northern Hemisphere, this occurs in early autumn. So, in the North Atlantic, a larger number of offspring are born in the period from May to November. Before the start of childbirth, females gather in a quiet zone, where conditions will favorably influence the development of offspring.

Such regions in the Pacific Ocean include the waters of Marshall Island and Bonin Island, the eastern coast of Japan, to a lesser extent, the waters of the South Kuril Islands and the Galapagos Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores, Bermuda, the coasts of the African province of Natal and Madagascar. Sperm whales live in areas of clear deep water, which are located on the leeward side of an island or reef.

In the Southern Hemisphere, mating season occurs between December and April. Females give birth far from home so that other predatory fish do not harm the offspring. Comfortable water temperature is 17-18 degrees Celsius. In April 1962

Near the island of Tristan da Cunha, rescuers observed the birth of a cub from a helicopter. Among several groups of sperm whales, which numbered 20-30 individuals. The whales took turns diving next to each other, so the water seemed cloudy.

It is interesting! To prevent the newborn from drowning, other females support him, diving under him and pushing him up.

After some time, the water acquired a reddish color, and a newborn appeared on the surface of the ocean, which immediately followed its mother. They were guarded by 4 other sperm whales, most likely also females. Eyewitnesses noted that during childbirth, the female assumed a vertical position, leaning out of the water by almost a quarter of her body length. In a newborn, the lobes of the caudal fin are folded into a tube for some time.

natural enemies

Due to their size and sharp teeth, the sperm whale does not have so many enemies. A newborn or a female who is without protection, but she will no longer risk attacking an adult male. Sharks and whales are not rivals for them. In the race for easy money and valuable trophies, humanity has driven sperm whales very close to the extinction line.

To date, hunting and trapping of these animals is prohibited and prosecuted by law.. And this did not affect the well-being of the chemical and cosmetic industries, because scientists have long since learned to synthesize lamprey substances in laboratories.

Population and species status

The reduction of the sperm whale population from natural causes is not known, but as a result of the industrial activities of mankind, these mammals have suffered significant losses. Hunting with hand harpoons from sailing ships began in the first half of the 18th century. And it lasted almost 100 years, after which the whales became so small that it was decided to stop hunting and fishing in order to preserve and restore the population. And it worked.

The sperm whale population began to return to normal. But with the advent of industrial technology, the whaling fleet was formed and the industry moved to a new level. As a result, by the 60s of the 21st century, in some regions of the World Ocean, there was a sharp decrease in the number of these mammals. This situation upset the balance of ocean fauna due to a shift in the food chain.

sperm whale and man

“Both man and sea animal are mammals. And to do what people have been doing for 100 years - and what else is a crime, against our smaller brothers. © Guide to the abyss. 1993

Commercial value

Hunting brought a lot of income to the industry. The Basques were doing this in the Bay of Biscay as early as the 11th century. In North America, sperm whale hunting began in the 17th century. The main valuable element that was extracted from the bodies of sperm whales was fat. Until the middle of the 19th century, this substance was the only ingredient that satisfied all the needs of the medical industry. It has been used as a fuel for lighting fixtures, as a lubricant, as a softening solution for leather goods, and in many other processes. In most cases, fat was used to make soap and margarine. Some varieties were used in the chemical industry.

It is interesting! All cetaceans are mammals. Their ancestors once lived on land. They still have fins that look like webbed hands. But for many thousands of years, living in the water, they have adapted to such a life.

Fat was extracted mainly from individuals caught in the Arctic and Antarctic in the spring and summer, because at that time they weighed more, which means that more fat could be obtained. Almost 8,000 liters of fat mass were extracted from one sperm whale. In 1946, a special international committee for the protection of sperm whales was created. He is engaged in population support and population control. Despite all efforts, this did not help to save the situation, the sperm whale population tended to zero faster and faster.

In the modern world, hunting does not have such a need and meaning as before. And extreme people who want to "play war" will pay a fine or even go to jail. In addition to sperm whale fat, very tasty meat, and fertilizers are made from bone tissue. Ambergris is also extracted from their bodies - a very valuable substance that is produced in their intestines. It is used to make perfume. The sperm whale tooth is valued as highly as ivory.

Human danger

The sperm whale is the only whale species that can swallow a human whole without chewing.. However, despite the large number of fatal cases when hunting for sperm whales, these whales, apparently, very rarely swallowed people who fell into the water. The only more or less confirmed case (it is even documented by the British Admiralty) occurred in 1891 near the Falkland Islands.

Fact! A sperm whale crashed a boat from the British whaling schooner Zvezda Vostok, one sailor died while the other, harpooner James Bartley, went missing and was also presumed dead.

The sperm whale that sank the boat was killed a few hours later; butchering his carcass continued all night. By morning, the whalers, having reached the insides of the whale, found James Bartley, who was unconscious, in his stomach. Bartley survived, though not without health consequences. His hair fell out on his head, and his skin lost its pigment and remained white as paper. Bartley had to leave whaling, but he was able to make good money showing himself at fairs as a man who had been in the belly of a whale like the biblical Jonah.

The sperm whale is the only modern representative of the sperm whale family in nature. These whales have a huge rectangular head that fits a spermaceti sac. Among other large cetaceans, the sperm whale stands out for a number of unique anatomical features. To your attention 31 interesting facts about sperm whales.

1. The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale. Adult males weigh about 50 tons and reach 20 meters in length. They grow throughout life.
2. Females grow up to 15 meters in length with a body weight of 20 tons. Sperm whales have well-defined sexual dimorphism. In addition to being smaller than males, females also have a different body build, number of teeth, and head shape.
3. The first scientific description of the sperm whale was given by Carl Linnaeus.
4. The third part of the body of the sperm whale is the head, so it is difficult to confuse it with other cetaceans.
5. The color of the skin of sperm whales varies from blue to dark gray. Brown tones are also often present in the color. Some males have yellow or white spots near the fins. The researchers also recorded sightings of albino sperm whales.
6. In sperm whales, the skin on the belly can reach a thickness of 50 cm.
7. The teeth of the sperm whale are a valuable bone. During the time of whale hunting, they served as an expensive ornamental material, which was valued on a par with walrus tusk and mammoth tusk.
8. One whale tooth can weigh up to 2 kg.
9. Among all mammals, sperm whales have the largest brain. Its weight is approximately 8 kg.
   
10. In the head, sperm whales have a unique formation - a spermaceti sac (fat cushion). The weight of this transparent liquid can reach 5 tons. Spermaceti is a waxy substance that hardens in air. "Sperm Whale Wax" is used in the pharmaceutical and perfume industries.
11. Sperm whales have no sense of smell, but they have unsurpassed hearing. Whales find food using ultrasonic echolocation (similar to bats).
12. Sperm whales live in herds. They unite in groups of several hundred, and sometimes thousands of heads. Whales collectively hunt and migrate in winter to warm latitudes. Very old sperm whales usually keep alone.
13. Sperm whales make 3 types of sounds - crackles, groans and clicks. The voice of the sperm whale is very loud, the sounds reach 115 dB. Whales from different groups use different sound markers. Scientists believe that there are several dialects in the "language" of these animals.
14. Sperm whales swim at a speed of about 7 km / h. Compared to baleen whales, this is slow. The researchers note that sperm whales can reach speeds of up to 30 km / h if they are frightened by something.
15. The largest toothed whales have a unique structure of internal organs. The structure of the intestines of the sperm whale is greatly simplified, but its length reaches 160 m. The stomach of the sea giant holds 500 liters of liquid.
16. In the digestive tract of male sperm whales, a gray solid substance, ambergris, is formed. This is a valuable product (fragrant substance) that is used in the production of perfumes. Ambergris produces high-quality aroma fixatives.
17. During the period of active whaling, people hunted sperm whales not only for the sake of spermaceti, ambergris and teeth. Fat was the main product of the sperm whale fishery. People also used whale meat. It was not consumed for food because of the sharp unpleasant odor; the meat served as raw material for feeding dogs and animals with valuable fur.
18. Tapeworms up to 30 m long live in the intestines of the sperm whale.
19. The sperm whale can stay under water longer than all mammals. The researchers recorded the whale's stay under water for 1 hour 52 minutes. In addition, animals can dive to a depth of 2500 meters at a pressure of 100 atmospheres.
20. Respiratory functions in sperm whales are performed by the left nostril. It is located in front of the head on the left. The right nostril, thanks to a special valve, only lets air in, but does not let it out.
    
21. Sperm whales are excellent divers, but also great jumpers. They can completely jump out of the water.
22. Sperm whales sleep, unlike smaller cetaceans. These whales have a period of continuous deep sleep. It lasts about 10 minutes. During sleep, sperm whales hover motionlessly in a vertical position in the water column with their noses directed to the surface. Scientists have found that in sleeping sperm whales, both hemispheres of the brain stop active activity at the same time.
23. The largest toothed whales are naturally polygamous. During the breeding season, about one male, who has reached puberty, keeps a whole harem - 10-15 females. Males become sexually mature at the age of 23-25 ​​years, females - at the age of 15-17 years. Whales not involved in breeding are kept separately.
24. The female sperm whale bears a cub for 16-17 months. Only one baby is born. Newborn whales weigh almost a ton and can be up to 4 meters long. Milk feeding lasts one year. The mammary glands of a female sperm whale can contain up to 45 liters of milk.
    
25. The life expectancy of sperm whales is 40-50 years.
26. Among the causes of natural death of sperm whales, scientists name myocardial infarction, stomach ulcers and bone necrosis.
27. Like other large whales, sperm whales are overgrown with various crustaceans. However, they do absolutely no harm to the body of giant mammals.
28. The diet of sperm whales includes cephalopods (octopus and squid) and fish (small sharks, rays, sea bass, salmon gobies). These animals also eat giant squids, sometimes reaching 10 m in length. For such large prey, whales dive to a depth of up to 2 kilometers. An adult male needs to eat about 1 ton of food per day.
29. Sometimes organized groups of 10-15 individuals. Whales show interaction by collectively driving prey to one place.
30. Along with large species, there are dwarf sperm whales. They grow in length no more than 4 meters, weigh about 400 kg.
31. Sperm whales have practically no natural enemies in their natural habitat. Only killer whales are a potential danger. They can attack baby sperm whales.

The sperm whale is a very amazing animal both among other inhabitants of the planet and among whales. This animal has such qualities that you will not meet with anyone else: absolute diving records; an unusual menu consisting of giant squids; a special fat pad (spermaceti) that only they have, as well as the glory of swallowing people whole without chewing. Although the last statement can be argued. Cannibalism behind sperm whales was usually not noticed.

In addition, the sperm whale is the largest representative among toothed whales. Males are much larger than females. Their length can reach 18-20 meters, while females grow no more than 13 meters. The average weight of males is 35-40 tons, but this is far from the limit.

Habitat

Sperm whales have the most extensive habitat. They are found in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The only places where they do not exist are the northernmost and southern regions.

They are found in large numbers where there is food. They even have their favorite recreation and hunting areas, where these whales form huge herds, numbering several hundred, and sometimes a thousand individuals.

Every year, sperm whales make not very distant seasonal migrations. They practically do not pass from one hemisphere to another. These giants prefer to stay where the depth is more than 200 meters, which is why they rarely approach the shores.

Habitat of sperm whales

Appearance

The name "sperm whale" comes from the Portuguese cachalote, which means "big head". The Portuguese hit the mark. In fact, the head of this animal is simply huge. It occupies about a third of the length of the entire body. Looking at the sperm whale from the side, it is clearly seen that the head of the animal has a rectangular appearance and there is not even a question of any “nose” here. On the sides it is strongly compressed.

At the very bottom of the head is a mouth, the lower long jaw of which is strewn with large cone-shaped teeth. Each of them weighs about 1 kg. On the upper jaw there are recesses for these teeth. The lower jaw is very mobile, it can open down almost 90 °, which plays into the hands of the sperm whale when capturing large prey.

Rectangular head shape

No less large eyes are located on the sides of the huge head, although only a small part of them is visible through the palpebral fissure. The diameter of the eyeball of the sperm whale reaches 15-17 cm. Small ear openings are located a little behind and slightly below the level of the eyes.

Despite their gigantic size, the sperm whale's fins are quite small: the dorsal fin is a small hump, the pectoral fins, with a body length of 20 meters and a weight of about 40-50 tons, grow no more than 1.8 meters in length.

small pectoral fins

In addition to the specific shape of the sperm whale's head, it is easy to recognize by its fountain. It is not directed vertically, as in many whales, but forward at an angle of about 45°. Sperm whales after long deep-sea dives float to the surface and breathe very often. The fountain appears at intervals of 5-6 seconds.

The dark gray skin of sperm whales is covered with deep grooves almost all over the body, except for the head. Under it lies a thick fat layer, which can reach 50 cm. In adults and large individuals, various scars and scratches are found on the skin. The belly, like many whales, is lighter.

sperm whale fountain

Features of the sperm whale

Sperm whales have a unique formation that is not found in any other animal - a spermaceti sac or a fat pad. It is located in the head of the sperm whale and occupies most of it.

The weight of spermaceti (a fat-like transparent liquid) can reach 11 tons. In the world, it is highly valued for its unique medicinal properties. But why is this adaptation for the sperm whale? According to one version, he needs a spermaceti bag for echolocation, according to another, it is something like a swim bladder and helps the whale when diving and rising from depth. This is due to the rush of blood flow to the head, as a result of which the temperature of this bag increases and the spermaceti melts. At the same time, its density decreases, and the whale can easily float to the surface. When diving, everything happens exactly the opposite.

Lifestyle

Sperm whales unite in numerous herds. And if you manage to meet a lonely sperm whale, then it will be an old male. There are also purely bachelor herds, consisting only of males.

Sperm whales are slow animals, their swimming speed rarely exceeds 10 km/h, but while chasing prey, they can be said to “come to life” and can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h.

For most of their lives, sperm whales are in search of food, so they have to make frequent dives to the depths where their favorite food, cephalopods, lives. The depth of such a dive can be from 400 to 1200 meters. It takes the sperm whale 30 to 45 minutes to do this. Therefore, before each entry to the depth, the whales spend enough time on the surface to breathe and stock up on oxygen, which is accumulated not only in the lungs, but also in the muscles.

When diving, his pulse drops to 10 beats per minute, and the blood begins to be redirected, first of all, to the brain and heart. And oxygen is supplied to the fins, skin and tail due to the fact that the muscles begin to secrete hidden oxygen reserves into the circulatory system.

Food

Almost 90% of the sperm whale's diet is cephalopods, and only the remaining 10% is fish. Among the cephalopods, squids are in the first place. These toothed whales find food using echolocation.

Despite the fact that sperm whales have no competitors at depth when looking for food, one worthy enemy can still be encountered - this is a giant squid. Most often, such skirmishes end in the victory of the sperm whale, after which the squid turns from an enemy into dinner.

An adult whale can eat about 1 ton of cephalopods and fish per day. He swallows his prey whole, and tears it apart if it is too large.

Cephalopods are the favorite food of sperm whales.

reproduction

During the breeding season, males form harems of 10-15 females. Pregnancy lasts from 15 to 18 months. From May to October, sperm whales give birth to one, very rarely two 4-meter cubs, whose weight can reach 1 ton each. Until 10-11 months, until teeth appear, the mother feeds the cub with milk.

Sperm whales grow quickly, given that their average life expectancy is 40-50 years. By 4-6 years, both males and females become sexually mature. The interval between births is 3 years. After 40 years, the female no longer participates in reproduction.

Female with cub

sperm whale and man

The sperm whale has only 2 enemies - killer whales and humans. The first is dangerous only for small females and their cubs, while the second is dangerous for everyone without exception.

Now the number of sperm whales is not threatened with a reduction, but until the middle of the 20th century, these whales were an important object of whaling. They were ruthlessly exterminated for the sake of meat, skin, healing properties of spermaceti and ambergris - a waxy substance formed in the whale's digestive tract. It is highly valued in perfumery as an excellent fragrance fixative.

In the second half of the 1960s, sperm whales were completely taken under protection. True, in some countries, the production of sperm whales is still ongoing, but in very small quantities, and then, according to strict quotas.

Sperm whales cannot be called harmless and kind creatures. When in danger or when injured, they show great aggression and may attack small boats. At one time, wounded sperm whales sank a sufficient number of small whaling ships and killed whalers.

Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon) Sperm whales are typical representatives of cetaceans. They originated 70 million years ago, either from some predatory animals, or from insectivores. To date, all connections with terrestrial life have already been lost, and their adaptability to aquatic life has remained excellent.

The body of the sperm whale is hairless, almost smooth, with a very thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which serves as a thermal insulator. A few bristles survived only on the muzzle. On the lower jaw there are 18–30 pairs of teeth without enamel, the largest of which weigh almost 2.6 kg each. The pectoral fins are broad and bluntly rounded. Body color varies from grayish-brown to black-brown.

The stomach is very large - it holds more than 500 liters of liquid. The kidneys are twice as large as those of land animals, because they have to remove from the body a large amount of salts that come with sea water. The length of the intestine is about 160 meters, but its device is extremely simplified. The first riddle: why does a carnivore have such a huge intestine?

There are still incomprehensible phenomena associated with sperm whales. For example, why are the nostrils not directed upwards, as in all whales, but obliquely forward?

It is known that sperm whales can stay under water, without air for more than an hour, and go to a depth of more than 1200 meters. The paradox is that the lungs of the sperm whale are smaller than those of other whales, and you have to hold your breath for a long time ... So, here's another mystery.

The sperm whale is a real giant. He is already born four meters and very quickly grows to 18 meters. The old sperm whale weighs more than 50 tons, others under 100. Among the sperm whales, there are also real babies. For example, the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) or kogia has a dolphin-shaped body 2.4-3.3 m long (males are slightly larger than females), weighing up to 300 kg. These cetaceans live in the warm ocean zone and are very rare.

Sperm whales swim in all oceans except the Arctic. In summer, they migrate from the subtropics to cold waters and swim in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. You can often find them off the coast of West Africa and Japan. Sperm whales are the only ones who cross the equator when migrating.

The sperm whale feeds on cephalopods (80%) and a small amount of fish (spiny sharks, sea urchins, pollock, cod, saury, gobies). Can prey on very large cephalopods (squid). Mollusks up to 18 meters long were sometimes found in his stomach. Hunting for them, the whale dives for hundreds of kilometers.

Sperm whales have no sense of smell, poor eyesight, but excellent hearing. Studies have shown that sperm whales communicate with each other through signals, and navigate in space and find food through echolocation (like bats).

The sperm whale is classified as an animal dangerous to humans. But what is this danger if he does not specifically hunt people? There can be two reasons: he attacks either out of fear or out of revenge.

In 1820, an enraged sperm whale rammed the Essex twice. The ship weighed almost 5.5 tons, but the whale was able to sink it. Only a few people survived. Small wooden boats, weighing as much as a small whale, often suffer from such rams. What can we say about small fishing boats ...

Sperm whales can swallow people whole without chewing. A sperm whale was caught by the schooner "Star of the East", and three whole human skeletons were found when it was torn open. It is not difficult to imagine what a painful death these poor fellows had, because they were digested alive.

More often, tragedies happen when the sperm whale is frightened. Then he starts to defend and attack. He takes the big boats on which people swim for a large animal, and therefore attacks them.

In addition, we must remember the existence of whaling ships. If the sperm whale manages to escape once, after that it will be hostile to any boat with people. It seems that you have already convinced yourself of the power this giant has, so you just have to guess about the fate of the ship that the sperm whale decides to attack.

	Length: up to 18 meters The weight: more than 50 tons Habitat: swim in all oceans except the Arctic.

Sperm whales are one of the largest marine animals. Quite a few cases of sperm whale attacks on ships are known. So in 1947, near the Commander Islands, a 17-meter sperm whale hit the Enthusiast whaler in the stern, broke the propeller shaft and damaged the steering. In Antarctica, as a result of an attack by a wounded sperm whale, one of the whalers of the Slava flotilla went out of action for several weeks.

In Alfred Berzin's book The Sperm Whale, the following curious list of aggressive actions of these whales is given:

“In popular or popular science literature, especially in the literature of earlier years, one can find numerous indications, descriptions or drawings of cases of deliberate attacks by angry sperm whales not only on whaling boats, but also on ships. Thus, the sperm whale nicknamed "Timor Jack" - the hero of countless stories - was said to have wrecked every boat sent against him. The sperm whales "New Zealand Jack", "Pity Tom", "Morrcan", "Don Miguel" also had a lot of broken whalers' boats on their account.

G. Melville, author of the novel about the ferocious white sperm whale, nicknamed "Moby Dick", claims that the sperm whale in some cases has sufficient skill and malicious judgment to deliberately ram, break and sink a large ship.

Despite these and many other examples, the well-known Soviet whale expert Professor Avenir Tomilin is most likely right when he believes that most of these accidents should be interpreted as the result of an accidental ramming by a stunned and disoriented animal, even if his actions seem quite conscious.

Obviously, this explains the accident with the Soviet whaler "Cyclone", which occurred in November 1965 in the North Pacific Ocean. A large sperm whale, wounded by a harpoon, suddenly turned onto the ship and hit it on the side, causing the Cyclone to almost capsize. On impact, the engines failed.

In December 1968, the New Zealand yacht "Matuka" was sunk in the Tasman Sea, which fell into the area of ​​accumulation of sperm whales. The yacht's crew of six escaped on a rubber raft and were picked up five days later by a passing English vessel. Obviously, the whales simply did not notice the small boat or did not pay attention to it.

There are also frequent cases of ships colliding with whales sleeping near the sea surface. In the autumn of 1965, a French navy torpedo boat ran into a whale in the North Atlantic and sank. The whale was not injured in the collision and escaped safely. In the mid-1960s, the American submarine Sidregon was damaged when it hit a whale. In 1964, the English liner Iberia ran into a whale off the coast of Australia. A powerful blow shook the hull of the 200-meter vessel and caused panic among the passengers, who, however, soon calmed down when they saw not reefs or rocks near the side of the vessel, but the bloody carcass of a whale.

Obviously, in all these incidents, the whales are not to blame. Nevertheless, absolutely reliable and documented facts of sperm whale attacks on ships are known. In 1820, in the Pacific Ocean, the American ship Essex was suddenly attacked by a huge sperm whale. The keel was broken as a result of the impact. After the first attack, the sperm whale surfaced nearby and repeated the attack, as a result of which the ship filled with water and capsized. Although all the whalers survived and managed to transfer to boats, only three sailors managed to reach the coast of Peru. The sperm whale and the whaler "Parker Cook" were attacked twice.

A. Sazonov reports on a completely unusual incident on the pages of the Marine Collection:

“In the spring of 1976, the crew of the yacht Attorante decided to have fun hunting for whales they met near the California coast. For a long time the ship followed them, people were waiting for the right moment to launch a delayed-action projectile. A shot followed, and the water was stained with blood. The projectile hit the female. The male circled around his mate as if trying to help. And when they began to tow her with a rope, the whale violently rushed at the yacht, hitting her so that she turned over and sank. Six "amateur whalers" were picked up by another ship.

Unfortunately for the whales, the balance of power has now changed dramatically. Now the whale practically cannot escape the pursuit of a modern technically equipped whaling ship, and no danger threatens its pursuers. Most of the above cases of sperm whale attacks belong to the field of history.

Sperm whales have practically no natural enemies; thanks to their herd way of life and collective protection, even predatory killer whales (also whales) rarely manage to grab a baby sperm whale (the female zealously guards her baby), not to mention adult animals that are simply too tough for them.

All whales give birth to one, very rarely two, already at the birth of large cubs. Young grow quickly, as they receive highly nutritious food. If cow's milk contains 3-4 percent fat, then the fat content of whale milk reaches 17-51 percent. When feeding, the cub wraps its tongue around the nipple, and the mother injects a portion of thick milk into its mouth.

Recent studies have established that toothed cetaceans - dolphins and sperm whales - have family groups. With each female, not only sucklings are kept, but also older, already adult children born several years ago. Close mutual affection is clearly manifested between members of such a family.

Zoologists number 55 species of modern cetaceans, most of which live in the seas; only a few species of dolphins inhabit fresh waters. Unrestrained fishing and insufficient control have led to the fact that many of the whales are on the verge of extinction. Several quotes from the book by V. Arseniev, V. Zemsky and I. Studenetskaya "Sea Mammals" speak eloquently about this:

Southern right whale."There are currently no prospects for the resumption of the fishery."

Bowhead whale.“Despite the long-term ban on fishing, the recovery of herds is so slow that there are no prospects for the resumption of fishing.”

Blue whale."Currently, production is limited in order to prevent the destruction of these valuable animals."

Fin whale."The annual harvest (in the North Atlantic) of only 1,000 fin whales has led to a catastrophic decline in their numbers."

Gorbach.“If in the 1930s there were 22,000 humpback whales in the Antarctic, by 1965 their number had dropped to 3,000. Therefore, since 1965, by the decision of the International Whaling Commission, the hunting of humpback whales has been banned in the southern hemisphere, and since 1966 in the entire oceans.

But these are the most valuable baleen whales in commercial terms, which were previously abundant. In recent years, the last large toothless whale, the sei whale, has left the category of commercial whales.

Despite the rapid growth and early onset of puberty, the recovery of the number of whales is very slow. Unregulated fishing for the gray whale led in 1947 to its almost complete extermination. The introduction in the same year of a ban on fishing somewhat corrected the situation, but only by 1960 did the size of the herd of gray whales off the Pacific coast of North America reach 5-6 thousand head. Currently, they number 10-12 thousand heads. On the Asian coast, they seem to have been completely eliminated.

Things are a little better with toothed whales, although not with all. It is believed that the world herd of sperm whales is approximately 300 thousand heads, which allows them to continue fishing.

Until recently, dolphin fishing was developed all over the world, but as a result of a sharp decrease in their numbers, it became unprofitable and was discontinued in many areas. Only the white whale, a large white dolphin of the northern and Far Eastern seas, has retained its commercial value, and the narwhal is hunted off the coast of Norway.

Whales can still be saved from complete extermination, but for this it is necessary to adhere to the strictest protection measures and follow the recommendations of specialists when fishing. Otherwise, the whales will suffer the fate of the sirens.