A sperm whale, the largest species of toothed whale, has been spotted near the island of Mljet in southern Dalmatia. They can grow up to 20 metres long and weigh up to 60 tonnes. The sight, captured on camera by fisherman Karmelo Janjic in the Croatian sea, is truly impressive.

Sperm whales live permanently in the Mediterranean. Research by the Croatian Museum of Natural History and the Blue World Institute confirms their presence in the southern Adriatic.

Population in the Mediterranean estimated at less than 2,500

“Given the fact that this species dives extremely deep and for long periods of time, it is extremely difficult to track them from the surface. Photographs of tail fins and bodies make it possible to identify individual whales. By comparing photos of individuals sighted in the Adriatic Sea with catalogues of other Mediterranean researchers, we have found that most individuals come from the Ionian Sea and the Hellenic Trench, while some have even been recorded in parts of the western Mediterranean,” said Dr Drasko Holcer, museum consultant at the Croatian Museum of Natural History, in an interview with N1.

A unique feature of these whales is their ability to hunt at depths of more than 1,000 metres. They have up to 26 conical teeth on each side of their narrow lower jaw and are found in all the world’s oceans except the polar regions. They live to be around 60 years old and reach sexual maturity at the age of eight to 12 years.

The population in the Mediterranean is estimated at less than 2,500 individuals. The status of the species in the Mediterranean is classified as “endangered” according to the criteria of the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).