Video: Sperm Whale Encounters Robotic Submarine

Epoch Video
2/22/2016
Updated:
3/10/2016

A robotic submarine was filming about 2,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico when a sperm whale showed up.

According to EV Nautilus: “The whale circled Hercules several times and gave our cameras the chance to capture some incredible footage of this beautiful creature. Encounters between sperm whales and ROVs are incredibly rare.”

Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales, considered the largest predator on Earth. They get to be about 52 feet in length, but some can get as long as 67 feet. The whales feed primarily on squid, including giant squid. They can be found anywhere in the open ocean, and are known for diving deep, going as far down as 7,000 feet below the surface.

They also have the largest brain of any animal---approximately five times larger than the average human brain.

---