Sperm whale organ may explain powerful striking force

Recent research provides evidence supporting a hypothesis regarding the immense striking force of sperm whales. Scientists suspect that a large, soft organ located in the front of the whale's head, known as the spermaceti organ, plays a critical role in this capability.

The head of a sperm whale accounts for approximately one-third of its body length. The spermaceti organ contains an oily substance that was historically highly valued by the whaling industry for use in fuel, candles, and soaps.

This biological finding lends scientific weight to historical accounts, such as those from Thomas Nickerson, a survivor of the 1820 shipwreck of the Essex. Nickerson's observations of a whale striking the vessel with enough force to sink it served as the inspiration for Herman Melville’s novel, ‘Moby-Dick’.