Illustration of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
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But each observation adds to a growing body of knowledge about sperm whales’ lives and habits.
—
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Using the video footage, machine learning and years of field observations, the scientists were able to identify the birth mother as a sperm whale named Rounder.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
There are just a handful of sperm whale birth records from the past 60 years, and all are anecdotal accounts or from whaling boats.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
With video footage, Gero and his team showed how the group worked together to lift and hold the newborn sperm whale near the surface with their bodies.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
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Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Using the video footage, machine learning and years of field observations, the scientists were able to identify the birth mother as a sperm whale named Rounder.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
There are just a handful of sperm whale birth records from the past 60 years, and all are anecdotal accounts or from whaling boats.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
With video footage, Gero and his team showed how the group worked together to lift and hold the newborn sperm whale near the surface with their bodies.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sperm whale
Cite this Entry
“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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