By Regina Sienra on December 24, 2024

The whale was quite vocal, emitting sequences of clicks known as codas.

Sperm whales are among the largest predators in the world. Males can grow up to 67 feet long and weigh up to 90 tons, while females can be between 36 to 40 feet long and weigh around 15 tons. It may be hard to grasp, but if you were to come across one in the ocean, you’d be understandably scared. But not Reddit user Damnitwasagoodday, whose calm demeanor was rewarded with a once in a lifetime interaction with a sperm whale.

The diver posted a video of their encounter to Reddit, sharing that it happened during a sperm whale watching expedition in Dominica, led by Just the Wild. The clip shows a whale “scanning” them with a clicking sounds for a couple minutes—a mix of echolocation and communication, most likely denoting curiosity around a human

When asked how he got the whale to approach him, the Reddit user writes, “Honestly she did all the work. If we got in the water loudly and chased after the whales they would take off every time. Keeping the boat at a distance, approaching slowly/quietly and stopping to give her space gave her the opportunity to decide to come in to check us out.”[…]

Continue reading: Striking Footage Shows a Sperm Whale Verbally “Scanning” a Diver