Alabama residents got a rare glimpse of one of the world’s largest creatures. The mysterious giant of the gulf, the sperm whale, has graced its presence upon the humans. Just kidding! A sperm whale was spotted in Mobile Bay, Alabama for the very first time. The hype that comes with the rare sight is because there is still a lot that we don’t know about these whales:
Its scientific name (Physeter macrocephalus) roughly translates to “blower with a huge head,” and it is believed to have the largest brain of any mammal, both in sheer size and in proportion to the rest of its body. Male sperm whales’ heads can make up about a third of their total body length.
Full-grown males average 49 feet in length and historically some have been reported to reach 66 feet or more in length, though scientists believe sperm whales that large are rare. Females average around 35 feet, roughly the size of the whale that stranded in Mobile Bay.
There is a population that seems to live exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico, though its size is largely unknown.
Image via Al.com