Photo: Aerial View Sperm Whale South Island Coast New Zealand

An aerial view of a Sperm Whale as it swims along the surface of the water during a Whale Watching flight with 'Wings over Whales'. This flight took place from Kaikoura, Canterbury on the East Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.

The Sperm Whale is the largest living toothed animal. Males can grow up to 20 metres long and their heads can be up to a third the size of their body. Subsequently it also has the largest brain of any mammal in the world, but that doesn't mean they are the smartest animal in the world. The Whale makes a clicking sound, that is actually the loudest sound made by any animal in the world, but scientists are unsure of what its actual function is.

From the late 18th century to the early 20th century, the Sperm Whale was hunted relentlessly for its spermaceti and sperm oil, which could be used to make soap, candles, cosmetics, and machine oil. Due to their immense size, some whales could defend themselves against whaling ships, but most did not make it.

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... to pressure from environmentalists, the Sperm Whale is now listed as vulnerable, but it has few natural enemies due to its size, and some sperm whales can live up to 70 years.

The Sperm Whale is found in many areas of the world, from the polar waters to the equator, and is found in all the waters, from the Mediterranean Sea and all the oceans. The Pacific Ocean shores off the coast of New Zealand is just one of the places the Sperm Whale thrives.

Aerial view of a Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalus, resting on the surface of the water during a Whale Watching flight with Wings over Whales, Kaikoura, Canterbury, East Coast, South Island, New Zealand.