CHAPTER XVIII.

Food of the Sperm Whale.—Manner of Feeding.—Swimming.—Breathing.— Herding.

In the many books which have been written of whaling voyages, we recollect nowhere to have seen a _natural history_ of the sperm whale, and we trust it will not be uninteresting to the reader if we give it in the present volume. It can not but be instructive, at all events, and, being satisfied on that point, we shall proceed; and, first,

_The Food of the Sperm Whale_.—This food consists almost wholly of an animal called by whalemen “squid,” and by naturalists the “_Sepia octopus_.” This squid forms the principal part of the sustenance of the sperm whale when at a distance from the shore, or what is termed “off shore ground.”

_Manner of Feeding_.—It appears from all that we could learn from the oldest and most experienced whalemen that we met, and from the observations we have been enabled to make upon this interesting subject, that when the whale is inclined to feed he descends a certain depth below the surface of the ocean, and there remains in as quiet a state as possible, opening his long and narrow mouth until the lower jaw hangs down almost perpendicularly. The roof of his mouth, the tongue, and especially the teeth, being of a bright, glistening color, must present a remarkable appearance, which seems to be the incitement by which his prey are attracted, and when a sufficient number are within the mouth, he rapidly closes his jaw and swallows the contents. This is not the only instance of animals obtaining their prey by such means, when the form of their bodies, from unwieldiness or some other cause, prevents them from securing their prey in any other manner, or by the common method of the chase. The crocodile frequently employs stratagems of the like nature. Covering himself in mud, and lying still on the bank of some stream, he opens his enormous jaws, when hundreds of smaller reptiles, attracted by the mucus or slime which covers his exterior, become the easy prey of the artful machinations of their scaly deceiver.

The sperm whale is frequently subject to deformity of the lower jaw, two instances of which we have seen, in which the deformity was so great as to render it impossible for the animal to find the jaw useful in catching its prey, or even, one might have supposed, in deglutition; yet these whales possessed as much blubber, and were as rich in oil as any of a similar size we have seen before or since. In both these instances of crooked jaws, the nutrition of the animal appeared to be equally perfect. In both cases the jaws were bent on one side. It would be interesting here to inquire into the causes of this deformity; but whether it is the effect of disease, or the consequence of accident, would be difficult to ascertain. Old whalemen affirm that it is caused by fighting. They state that the sperm whale fights by rushing head first one upon the other, their mouths, at the same time, wide open; their object appearing to be the seizing of their opponent by the lower jaw, for which purpose they frequently turn themselves on their side. In this manner they become, as it were, locked together, their jaws crossing each other, and in this method they strive vehemently for the mastery. We have never had the fortune to witness one of these combats, but if it be the fact that such take place, we need not wonder at seeing so many deformed jaws among sperm whales; for we can easily suppose the enormous force exerted on these occasions, taking into consideration, also, the comparative slenderness of the jaw-bone in this animal. From these facts it may at least be surmised, with a great degree of probability, that the mode of procuring food as above stated is the true one; for with a jaw so much deformed, the animal would seem incapable of pursuing his prey, and would consequently gain but a very precarious subsistence, did not its food actually throng about its mouth and throat, invited by their appearance, and attracted in some degree, as is supposed, by the peculiar and very strong odor of the sperm whale.

The teeth of the sperm whale are merely organs of prehension. They can be of no use for mastication, and consequently the fish, etc., which he occasionally vomits present no marks of having undergone the process.

The manner of the suckling of the young ones is a matter involved in some obscurity. It is impossible, from the singular conformation of the mouth, that the young one could seize the nipple of the mother with the forepart of it, for there are no soft lips at this part, but instead the jaws are edged with a smooth and very hard cartilaginous substance; but about two feet from the angle of the mouth they begin to be furnished with something like lips, which form at the angle some loose folds, soft and elastic, and it is commonly believed by the most experienced whalemen that it is by this part the young whale seizes the nipple and performs the act of sucking, and which is doubtless the mode of its doing so.

_Swimming_.—Notwithstanding his enormous size, we find that the sperm whale has the power of moving through the water with the greatest ease, and with considerable velocity. When undisturbed, he passes tranquilly along, just below the surface of the water, at the rate of about two to four miles per hour, which progress he effects by a gentle oblique motion from side to side of the “flukes.” When proceeding at his common rate, his body lies horizontally, his “hump” projecting above the surface, with the water a little disturbed around it, and more or less according to his velocity. This disturbed water is called by whalemen “white water,” and from the greater or less quantity of it an experienced whaleman can judge very accurately of the rate at which the whale is going from the distance of three or four miles.

In this mode of swimming the whale is able to attain a velocity of about eight or nine miles per hour; but when desirous of proceeding at a more rapid rate, the action of the tail is materially altered. Instead of being moved laterally and obliquely, it strikes the water with the broad flat surface of the flukes in a direct manner, upward and downward, and each time the blow is made with the inferior surface the head of the whale sinks down to the depth of eight or ten feet, but when the blow is reversed it rises out of the water, presenting then to it only the sharp, cutwater-like inferior portion.

The blow with the upper surface of the flukes appears to be by far the most powerful, and as, at the same time, the resistance of the broad anterior surface of the head is removed, it is the principal means of progression. This mode of swimming with the head alternately in and out of the water is called by whalemen “going head out;” and in this way the whale can attain a speed of ten or fifteen miles an hour, and this latter is believed to be his greatest velocity.

The tail is thus seen to be the great means of progression, and the fins are not much used for that purpose; but occasionally, when suddenly disturbed, the whale has the power of sinking suddenly and directly downward in the horizontal position, which he effects by striking upward with the fins and tail.

_Breathing_.—All the _cetacea_, as is well known, are warmblooded animals, and possess lungs, and, consequently, require a frequent intercourse with atmospheric air, and for this purpose it is necessary that they should rise to the surface of the water at certain intervals. The majority of this class of animals do not appear to perform this function with any regularity, and it is in this respect that the sperm whale is remarkably distinguished among the _cetacea_; and it is from his peculiar mode of “blowing” that he is recognized, even at a great distance, by experienced whalemen. When at the surface for the purposes of respiration the whale generally remains still, but occasionally continues making a gentle progress during the whole of his breathing-time. If the water is moderately smooth, the first part of the whale observable is a dark-colored pyramidal mass, projecting two or three feet out of the water, which is called the “hump.”

At very regular intervals of time, the nose, or “noddle-end,” emerges at a distance of from forty to fifty feet from the hump in the full-grown male. From the extremity of the nose the spout is thrown up, which, when seen from a distance, appears thick, low, and bushy, and of a white color. It is formed of the expired air, which is forcibly ejected from the spout-hole, acquiring its white color from the minute particles of water previously lodged in the chink or fissure of the nostril, and also from the condensation of the aqueous vapor thrown off by the lungs.

The spout is projected from the spout-hole at an angle of about forty-five degrees, in a slow and continuous manner, for the space of about three seconds of time. If the weather is fine and clear, and there is a gentle breeze at the time, it may be seen from the masthead of a moderate-sized vessel at the distance of five or six miles. The spout of the sperm whale differs much from that of other large _cetacea_, in which it is mostly double, and projected thin, and like a sudden jet; and as in those animals the spout-holes are situated nearly on the top of the head, it is thrown up to a considerable height in almost a perpendicular direction. When, however, a sperm whale is “gallied” or alarmed, the spout is thrown up much higher and with great rapidity, and consequently differs much from its usual appearance. The regularity with which every action connected with its breathing is performed by the sperm whale is very remarkable. The length of time he remains at the surface, the number of spouts or expirations made at one time, the intervals between the spouts, the time he remains invisible “in the depth of the ocean buried,” are all, when the animal is undisturbed, as regular in succession and duration as it is possible to imagine.

In different individuals the times consumed in performing these several acts vary, but in each they are minutely regular, and this well-known regularity is of much benefit to the whaleman; for, when he has once noticed the periods of any particular sperm whale which is not alarmed, he knows to a moment when to expect it again at the surface, and how long it will remain there.

Immediately after each spout the nose sinks beneath the water, scarcely a second intervening for the act of inspiration, which must consequently be performed very quickly, the air rushing into the chest with astonishing velocity. There is, however, no sound caused by the expiration or spout; in this respect, also, differing from other whales, for the “fin-back” whale and some others have their inspirations accompanied by a loud sound, as of air forcibly drawn into a small orifice. This sound is called by whalemen the “drawback,” and when heard at night near the ship, convinces the listening watch of the species to which it belongs. In a large “bull” sperm whale, the time consumed in making one inspiration and one expiration, or the space from the termination of one spout to that of another, is ten seconds, during six of which the nostril is beneath the surface of the water, the inspiration occupying one, and the expiration three seconds; and at each breathing-time the whale makes from sixty to seventy inspirations, and remains, therefore, at the surface of the water eleven or twelve minutes. At the termination of this breathing-time, or, as whalemen say, when he has had his “spoutings out,” the head sinks slowly, the “small,” or the part between the hump and flukes, appears above the surface of the water, curved with the convexity upward; the flukes are then lifted high into the air, and the animal, having assumed a straight position, descends perpendicularly to an unknown depth. The act is performed with regularity and slowness, and is called by whalemen “turning flukes;” an act, too, which is always noticed by those at masthead, who call loudly, when they disappear below the surface, “T-h-e-r-e goes flukes!” The whale continues thus hidden beneath the surface from sixty to seventy minutes; some will remain an hour and twenty minutes. If we take into consideration the quantity of time that the full-grown sperm whale consumes in respiration, and also the time he takes in searching for food and performing other acts below the surface of the ocean, we should find that a seventh of the time of this huge animal is consumed in the function of respiration.

The females being found generally in large numbers and in close company, it is difficult to fix the attention upon one individual, so as to ascertain precisely the time consumed below the surface. However, as all in one school generally rise at the same time, it may be observed that they remain below the water about twenty minutes. They make from thirty-five to forty expirations during the period they are at the surface, which is about five minutes, and they thus consume about a fifth of their time in respiration, a proportion considerably greater than that of the adult males.

When disturbed or alarmed, this regularity in breathing appears to be no longer observed. For instance: when a “bull,” which, when undisturbed, remains at the surface until he has made fifty expirations, is alarmed by the approach of a boat, he immediately plunges beneath the surface, although he may not have performed more than half the usual number of his expirations. He will soon rise again not far distant and finish his full number of respirations; and in this case, also, he generally sinks without having assumed the perpendicular position before described. On the contrary, he sinks suddenly in the horizontal position, and with remarkable rapidity, leaving a sort of vortex in the place where his huge body lately floated.

When urging his rapid course through the ocean in that mode of swimming which is called “going head out,” the spout is thrown out every time the head is raised above the surface, and under these circumstances of violent muscular exertion, as would be expected, the respiration is much more hurried than usual.

_Other Actions of the Sperm Whale_.—When in a state of alarm, or gamboling in sport on the surface of the ocean, the sperm whale has many curious modes of acting. It is difficult to conceive any object in nature calculated to cause alarm to this leviathan; notwithstanding which, he is remarkably timid, and is readily alarmed at the approach of a boat.

When seriously alarmed, he is said by whalemen to be “gallied,” and in this state he performs many actions very different from his usual mode, as has been mentioned in speaking of his swimming and breathing, and many also which he is never observed to perform under any other circumstances. One of them is what is called “sweeping,” which consists in moving the tail from side to side on the surface of the water, as if feeling for the boat, or any other object that may be within reach. The whale has also an extraordinary manner of rolling over and over on the surface, and this he does when “fastened to” from a boat. At times they place themselves in a perpendicular posture, with the head only above water, presenting, in this position, a most extraordinary appearance. When seen from a distance they resemble large black rocks rising out of the midst of the ocean. This posture they seem to assume for the purpose of surveying more accurately or more easily the surrounding expanse. A species of whale, called by whalemen “blackfish,” is most frequently in the habit of assuming this position.

The eyes of the sperm whale, being placed in the widest part of the head, of course afford the animal an extensive field of vision, and he appears to view objects very readily that are placed laterally in a direct line with the eye, and when they are placed at some distance before him. His common manner of looking at a boat or a ship is to turn over on his side, so as to cause the rays from the object to strike directly upon the retina.

Now, when alarmed, and consequently anxious to take as rapid a glance as possible on all sides, he can much more readily do so when in the above-described perpendicular position. Occasionally, when lying at the surface, the whale appears to amuse itself by violently beating the water with its tail. This act is called “lop-tailing,” and the water lashed in this way into foam is termed “white water,” and by it the whale is often recognized from a great distance.

But one of the most curious and surprising of the actions of the sperm whale is that of leaping completely out of the water, or of “breaching,” as whalemen term it. The way in which he performs this extraordinary motion appears to be by descending to a certain depth below the surface, and then making some powerful strokes with his tail, which are frequently and rapidly repeated, and thus convey a great degree of velocity to his body before he reaches the surface, when he darts completely out. When just emerged and at its greatest elevation, his body forms with the surface of the water an angle of about forty-five degrees, the flukes lying parallel with the surface in falling. The animal rolls his body slightly, so that he always falls on his side, and seldom breaches more than twice or thrice at a time. In very clear weather, on the Japan ground, we have seen the breach of a large whale at a distance of sixteen miles; but, as a general thing, eight or ten miles is the distance that a breach may be discovered from masthead.

It is probable that the sperm whale often resorts to this action of breaching for the purpose of ridding itself of various animals which infest its skin, such as large “sucking-fish,” and other animals which resemble crabs. Of the former of the parasites, some fix themselves so closely to this convenient carrier that they sometimes adhere to the skin of the whale for several hours after its death, and then suffer themselves to be forced off by the hands of the whalemen. It is not improbable, also, that some of these actions may be resorted to in the whale endeavoring to avoid the assaults of the swordfish, by which they are sometimes attacked. There is also an animal called a “killer,” which, in company with the swordfish, attack the whale. The latter will goad him from below, while the former leaps out of the water and falls upon him from above, the attack thus intimidating the whale, and giving the swordfish an opportunity to inflict its wounds.

_Herding_.—The sperm whale is a gregarious animal, and the herds formed by it are of two kinds; the one consisting of females, the other of young bulls not fully grown.

These herds are called by whalemen “schools,” and occasionally consist of great numbers. With each school of females are always from one to three large males, the lords of the herd. The males are said to be extremely jealous of intrusion by strangers, and to fight fiercely to maintain their rights. The full-grown males, or “large whales,” almost always go alone in search of food, and, when they are seen in company, are supposed to be migrating from one feeding-ground to another. The large whale is generally very incautious, and if alone, he is without difficulty attacked and easily killed, as he frequently, after receiving the first blow from the harpoon, appears hardly to feel it, but continues lying like a “log of wood” on the water before he rallies or makes any attempt to escape from his enemies.

Large whales are sometimes, but rarely, met with remarkably cunning and full of courage, when they will commit dreadful havoc with their jaws and tail. The jaw and head, however, appear to be their principal offensive weapons.

The female breeds at all seasons, producing but one at a time, except in a few instances, in which two are produced. Her time of gestation is unknown, but is supposed to be about ten months. Their young, when first born, are about twelve or fourteen feet in length, and five or six in girth. The females are much smaller than the males, being considered not more than one fourth the size of the adult large whale. They are very remarkable for attachment to their young, which they may frequently be seen urging and assisting to escape from danger with the most unceasing care and fondness. They are also not less remarkable for their strong feeling of attachment to each other; and this is carried to so great an extent, that, should one female of a herd be attacked and wounded, her faithful companions will remain around her to the last moment, or until they are wounded themselves. This act of remaining by a wounded companion is called by whalemen “bringing to,” and whole schools have been destroyed by dexterous management, when several ships have been in company, wholly from these whales possessing this remarkable disposition. The attachment appears reciprocal on the part of the young whales, which have been seen about the ship for hours after their parents have been killed.

The young males or “young bulls” go in large schools, but differ remarkably from the females in disposition, inasmuch as they make an immediate and rapid retreat upon one of their number being struck, who is left to take care of himself. They are also very cunning and cautious, keeping at all times a good look-out for danger. It is consequently necessary for the whaleman to be extremely cautious in his mode of approaching them, so as, if possible, to escape being seen or heard, for they have some mode of communication one to another, through a whole school, in an incredibly short space of time. They are consequently much more troublesome to attack, and more dangerous and difficult to kill, great dexterity and dispatch being necessary to give them no time to recover from the pain and fright caused by the first blow. When about three fourths grown, or sometimes only half, they separate from each other and go singly in search of food.

All sperm whales, both large and small, have some method of communication with each other by which they become apprised of danger, and this they do, although the distance may be very considerable between them, sometimes amounting to six, seven, eight, or even ten miles. The method by which these communications are carried on remains a curious secret.