Sperm Whales of Costa RicaAlthough sperm whales typically inhabit waters around the continental shelf and deeper waters, they are frequent visitors along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, particularly from August to December.And, for those folks fortunate enough to visit the magnificent Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica December and January are often good months for whale-watching tourism along that coast. The largest of all toothed whales, they prefer deeper water where they have been known to dive to depths of nearly 9,800 feet (3 km). To put that into perspective, consider that the world’s most modern submarines would be crushed by sea pressure at 2,400 feet---about 25% the depth to which these leviathans can dive. If you see one of these whales, you’ll like see several for they live in social groups of a dozen or more animals. And, did I mention they have teeth? Really big teeth? 
Unlike humpback whales that migrate thousands of miles a year, this species tends to be relative home-bodies, their pods inhabiting the same waters year-round. Pods are matriarchal---headed by females---and consist of females and their young. As the young males become bachelors, they head out on their own and often go to the polar regions where there's an abundance of squid (5'-8'), giant squid (30'-40'), and even colossal squid (46'+). Females, on the other hand, prefer tropical and temperate waters, feeding on squid, octopus, and various fish. If you see a pod of these whales on your Costa Rica vacation, they'll likely be females and their young. Fortunately for humans, despite their mouthful of huge teeth, these---the largest of the carnivores---don't eat us and are tranquil. Well, except for Moby DickRemember the great white whale of Melville's famous novel, Moby Dick:"There she blows!--there she blows! A hump like a snow-hill! It is Moby Dick!" A great beast, 85' long. Monstrous, malevolent, terrifying, and deadly. An albino sperm whale that, in its rage, attacked and sank a mighty whaler, leaving but one soul to recount the horror. While many people recognize Moby Dick as one of the greatest books ever written, few know the back story. Want to know it? Click for the true story behind the
Sperm Whale LanguageThere's nothing like being in a small boat when a whale suddenly breaks the surface right alongside. Rising silently through the depths, diving silently back, swimming silently.Silently as a jet engine. You see,
sperm whales are the loudest animals on earth!
These whales are louder than the loudest rock concert! And, as it turns out, these magnificent animals are real chatterboxes, with a complex language, regional dialects, and even accents. See the language of sperm whales These animals have swum the world's seas for some 135,000,000 years only to be threatened with extinction within a couple of centuries of human exploitation. Fortunately, Man also has the ability---if not always the will---to preserve life. May the great whales roam the seas for another 135,000,000 years.
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