Mammal · GBIF taxon 2440691
Dwarf Sperm Whale
Kogia simaAlso known as Owen's Pygmy Sperm Whale
Dwarf sperm whales inhabit deep oceanic waters over continental slopes, where they often float motionlessly at the surface in a behavior known as logging. When threatened, they can discharge a cloud of reddish-brown intestinal fluid that conceals their escape in the dark water. They forage silently at mesopelagic depths, using echolocation and powerful suction feeding to swallow squid whole.
Marine MammalDeep DiverOceanic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Mesopelagic Squid
- Lanternfish
- Deep-sea Crabs
Predators
- Killer Whale
- Great White Shark
ThreatsBycatch in commercial driftnets, plastic ingestion, and naval sonar disturbance
HabitatsTemperate and tropical continental slopes and pelagic open ocean
Life span20–23 years
Classification
- FamilyKogiidae
- SpeciesKogia sima
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Vessel Distance: Keep boats at least 100 meters away and slow to idle speed to avoid disturbing logging behavior.
- Stranding Etiquette: Contact authorized marine mammal rescue networks immediately instead of attempting to push beached individuals into the surf.
Predator (c) Martín Acosta Albarracín, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Martín Acosta Albarracín · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Peter Crowcroft, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Peter Crowcroft · cc-by
Distant Relative (c) Gabriel Barathieu, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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