News: Sperm Whale Washed Up

This Sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) washed up in Hackley Bay (Forvie NNR) on Friday 24 March, 2006, and had moved to Rockend (Forvie NNR) by Saturday morning. Grid Ref: 024 263. Total Length 10.70m, Fluke width 2.80m. It is a young male, possibly over ten years old. Adult males grow to over 18m in length. Sperm whales are the largest of the odontocete, or toothed whales. This is not the first time Sperm whales have lost their way in the North Sea, in March 1996, six young males washed up at Cruden Bay. It is likely that the whale was trying to head south west and got into difficulty trying to negotiate the east coast of Scotland. Sperm whales are found in all the world's oceans are among the deepest diving cetaceans. Females and their calves travel in permanent units, unlike the males that may rove between feeding and breeding sites, as well as among groups of females when breeding.