A female sperm whale, carrying a piece of giant squid in her mouth, leads a gargantuan dinner party in the northwestern Pacific on October 15, 2009. Sperm whales are voracious hunters of squid, and one animal can consume an estimated 110 million tons a year.
Aiding the sperm whale in its hunts is the world’s largest brain, which is surrounded by patches of spermaceti. Once used in candles and ointments, the white, waxy substance was long ago mistaken for the whale’s sperm, leading to the species’ curious name.— Photograph by Tony Wu, Barcroft/Fame Pictures
National Geographic \ RARE PHOTOS: Giant Squid Eaten by Sperm Whale
