Pygmy Sperm Whale

A quick visit to our nature center to learn about Squirt, the Pygmy Sperm Whale.

Hanging in our nature center there is a skeleton. What can we tell about the animal by looking at the bones? Does it crawl or swim or fly? Does it eat meat or plants? These look like hands!

This is a pygmy sperm whale who washed up on our south beach in June of 2021. These animals are comfortable in much deeper water, and only end up on our shores when they are very sick and stressed. Pygmy sperm whales can be 8-14 feet long. They are carnivores, which you can see from the sharp teeth on the bottom, but look! The top jaw has no teeth; only this joint for stabilizing the lower jaw. Along with shrimp and fish, these whales eat octopus and squid, and they have borrowed a hiding tactic from them. The whale has a specialized pocket in its intestines to expel “ink” to create a distracting cloud when a predator like an orca or shark is sneaking up on them! It’s always interesting to learn from things that wash up on a beach.