Sperm whale
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The sperm whale or cachalot is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale
Mother and baby sperm whale
Unusual among cetaceans, the sperm whale's blowhole is highly skewed to the left side of the head.
A sperm whale skeleton
skeleton of a sperm whale, Museum of Nature and Environment, Lübeck Germany
Spermaceti
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Spermaceti, one of the fractions of sperm oil, is a waxy substance found in the head cavities of the sperm whale. Spermaceti is created in the spermaceti organ inside the whale's head. This organ may
Sperm whale
…Earth, more than five times heavier than a human's. Sperm whales can live 70 years or more. Sperm whales' heads are filled with a waxy substance called "spermaceti" (sperm oil), from which the whale derives its name. Spermaceti was a prime target of the whaling industry and was sought after for use in oil lamps…
Left to right: A sample of solid raw spermaceti, a spermaceti wax candle and a bottle of sperm oil.
1864 illustration captioned: "Removing the spermaceti from the head of the cachelot, or sperm whale"
A whaler bailing spermaceti from the severed head of a sperm whale (1874 illustration).
A jar of raw spermaceti