Translation 2783

30 5
, In the southeastern part of the.Pacific Ocean - the males
become sexually mature at a body length of about 9.7 metres, and the
females at about 8.5 metres, The duration of gestation is 17 Months;
the length of a new-born calf is about 4.02 metres. .
Mating takes '
place from April to February, but most often from June to December,
with a peak in September.
The parturition period extends from September
to July, but is mostly from November to May, with a peak in
February. Lactation lasts from five or six months to 17 or 18 months.
The fat content of the milk is 30% or more.
the warm zone, or even in the temperate zone (35 0 -39 0 s)
The calves are born in
After a prolonged dive a sperm whale usuall y spends not
less than ten minutes on the surface, and after a brief space of
time (about half a minute) it emits spouts that incline forward and
slightly to the left; it is then changing the air in its lungs and
its air-sas, and that is the best time to approach it. If its
flukes apnear in the air when it dives, that ,
to dive to a great depth.
means that it is about
During migration sperm whales do not, as a rule, form concentrations,
and it is only-in circumpolar regions, in small areas
of open water, that groups .of a few tons of the animals are found.
Instances have been recorcTed of -sperm whales raising part
of the head out of the water, or leaping partly or wholly out of
the water.
'The usual rate of movement of sperm whales is not great (up
to six or seven knots), but in the event of danger they can develop
a speed of up to 15 knots for a short time only.
Cases have been
recorded where a sperm whale, after lydng mounded with a harpoon,
have rammed a whaling vessel and smashed its boats and guardrails.
Srperm whales entangled in transoceanic cables have been hauled up
from depths of 120 to 1,120 metres, usually frOm 500 metres or more.
In Cook Strait sperm whales have dived to depths of 360 to 1,650
metres, with a maximuta of 2,000 metres. They can stay under water
for from 50 minutes to 1
hour 15 minutes,
Stranded sperm whales have been reported from various parts
of South America, Africa, ardi Australia.
DD r c 1 e
Tncrustations AJAve been observeè .
on the teeth, and less often
on the bodies, of sDer• whales. In Antarctic waters diatom algae
settle on their bodies.