Sperm whales confirmed to use heads for powerful strikes

Researchers have confirmed a long-standing theory that sperm whales can use their heads to strike other organisms with enough force to potentially sink vessels. This finding provides scientific backing to a 200-year-old hypothesis originally proposed by Owen Chase, the first officer of the ship Essex, whose encounter inspired Herman Melville’s novel “Moby Dick”.

Ecophysiologist Alex Berslem from the University of Hawaii led the study, which found that sperm whales utilize their massive heads for physical impact. A recorded strike from a young whale reached approximately 460 kilonewtons, while researchers estimate an adult could produce a force of about 1,200 kilonewtons—comparable to the impact of a bus traveling at 65 kilometers per hour.

The whale’s head, which accounts for about one-third of its body length, contains a large fatty structure known as the spermaceti organ. Scientists believe this organ helps cushion the impact, protecting the whale from injury during such strikes. While the exact frequency of these attacks in the wild remains unknown, the organ is also theorized to play a role in sound direction for communication and orientation.