Dominica's sheer underwater drop-offs create deep sheltered bays along its western coastline–the perfect haven for the Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus, Vulnerable (IUCN)), to breed and calve.
It is possible to swim-freedive and take pictures of these gentle giants. A rare intimate experience of a lifetime.
Sperm whales exploit great depths and must face big physiological challenges in adapting to pressure. From the days of whaling, these animals have been recognized as exceptional divers, with reports of dives lasting as long as two hours after they were harpooned. Today, with the use of sonar tracking and attached time-depth recorders, dives as deep as 2.500mt have been measured. Routine dive depths are usually in the 500 to 800 m range, and dives can last between 20 minutes and one hour.
Photo taken under permit n°RP 17/01/02 FIS-4.
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