A sperm whale had an encounter with a research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana, and the event was captured on a stunning new video. The mammoth marine mammal swam beneath probes used by researchers in their examinations of the water body.
The sperm whale was recorded 1,962 feet beneath the surface of the water. At first, investigators believed they were witnessing a visit from a humpback whale. The behemoth creature circled the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) Hercules several times, allowing the team to capture the cetacean in its natural habitat.
Sperm whales are rare in the waters off Louisiana, and encounters with remotely-operated vehicles occur infrequently.
"Today, the ROV Hercules had a surprising and rare encounter with a sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico at 598 meters (1,962 feet)!" EV Nautilus team leaders announced on their Facebook page.
While the research team recorded their encounter with the sperm whale, one member of the team opined that the event looked fake. Another answered that they were likely to receive similar comments from people watching the recording. The cetacean came so close to the ROV that the team thought they spotted marks on its nose, possibly caused by an encounter with the propellers of a boat.
The EV Nautilus team did not expect to experience such a close encounter with a sperm whale. The investigators were exploring hydrothermal vents in The Gulf of Mexico to better understand how life develops in these unusual geological features.
Sperm whales, also known as the cachalot, are an endangered species, although they populate nearly every location offering open ocean water. Adults grow to be as long as 60 feet, making them the largest toothed predator in the world. The head alone makes up roughly one-third of their body length.
They dive to tremendous depths, outperformed by only the Cuvier's beaked whale, as they feed on vast quantities of shrimp. These animals, which live to be up to 60 years old, are also the loudest species on the planet, generating calls up to 230 decibels. Males live a largely solitary existence, except during mating season, while females live with their young for up to a decade as the highly-intelligent animal develops.
Sperm whales are known for being curious creatures, regularly checking out boats and automated robotic vehicles. They were heavily hunted during the Age of Whaling, to feed a demand for wax-like spermaceti, which was used to fuel lamps and candles and as a lubricant. Ambergris, a digestive waste product of the species, is still used in modern perfumes.
The video of the encounter is available on the EV Nautilus You Tube channel.
Photo: Biodiversity Heritage Library | Flickr
