“GOD hunt us all if we do not hunt Moby Dick to his death!” But it was Captain Ahab who came off worst in the encounter. And that’s not surprising. Studies of sperm whales’ heads suggest they’re perfectly evolved for ramming boats.
Whales’ foreheads contain two sacs filled with oil. In male sperm whales, these sacs are especially massive. Quite what their purpose is isn’t clear. Some biologists think they play a role in sound production or controlling buoyancy, but another theory is that the sperm whale’s massive oil-filled sac cushions the animal’s head during fights. While there are a handful of anecdotal accounts of such…
