When and where to see it
Sperm whales are seen around Madeira all year, most often from March to September. The sea floor drops past 1,000 metres not far from the south-west coast, which gives them the deep water where they hunt squid.
Most sightings are of family groups of females and young, which stay in warm water all year. Big adult males live alone and visit from colder seas, so a lone, very large animal is usually a male.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sperm whale | January: also seen | February: also seen | March: main season | April: main season | May: main season | June: main season | July: main season | August: main season | September: main season | October: also seen | November: also seen | December: also seen |
How to recognise it
Look for a low, bushy blow that leans forward and to the left: the single blowhole sits at the front of the head, off to one side. At the surface a sperm whale often lies still like a log, breathing for several minutes before it dives.
Square head
Up to a third of the body, with wrinkled skin behind it.
Low hump
No tall fin, just a rounded hump and a row of knuckles towards the tail.
Tail up
It lifts its broad, triangular flukes high into the air when it dives.
| Length | Females up to about 12 m, males up to 16–18 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | Females about 15 t, males up to about 45 t |
| Food | Mostly deep-water squid |
| Dives | Often 45–60 minutes, beyond 1,000 m |
| Groups | Females and young in groups; adult males alone |
| IUCN Red List | Vulnerable |
Tips for a good sighting
Once the tail goes up, a sperm whale may stay down for most of an hour, so good skippers wait where it is expected to surface instead of searching at speed. Calm days are best: the low blow is easy to miss among white caps. Madeira hunted sperm whales until 1981, and the Whale Museum in Caniçal tells that story.
How boats should behave around whales and dolphins is in responsible whale watching, and the trips from the marina are in whale and dolphin watching.
Read next
- Short-finned pilot whaleThe winter regular, often resting in tight groups at the surface.
- Fin whaleThe second-largest animal on Earth, passing Madeira in spring and summer.
- Bryde’s whaleA large baleen whale of the warm months, with three ridges on its head.
- Whale watchingSpecies by month, boats from the marina and how to choose a trip.