Smallest Whale

Whales are known to be some of the largest marine mammals across the globe and as a matter of fact, the Blue Whale is the largest mammal all over the world, measuring at approximately one hundred and eight feet long.

While the Blue Whale is indeed humongous, the smallest whale however is just several feet bigger than humans.

What is the Smallest Whale in the World?

The smallest whale in the world is what is known as the Dwarf Sperm Whale. This “tiny” sea creature measures only about a meter or approximately 3.37 feet long at birth.

Its full adult length can only reach up to nine feet in length or about 2.74 meters long. It can weigh up to two hundred and fifty kilograms or approximately five hundred and fifty-one pounds.

Physical Appearance

The Dwarf Sperm Whale has a close resemblance in appearance to its kin, the Pygmy Sperm Whale. The main differences between the two are that firstly, the Dwarf Sperm Whale is smaller in size and secondly, it has a larger-sized dorsal fin.

Up until the mid-1960s, the Dwarf Sperm Whale was thought to be the Pygmy Sperm Whale until their differences were finally discovered and the Dwarf Sperm Whale was identified.

It has a blue-gray color and its flippers are quite short but wide. The tips of its snout hangs over its lower jaw and their sharp teeth are curved and long. They have about six upper teeth and around fourteen to twenty-six lower teeth.

Its head measures approximately one-sixth the size of its body; pectoral fin is approximately forty centimeters in height and the tail flukes are about sixty-one centimeters.

They are considered as solitary marine mammals and they mostly get their nourishment from crabs and squid.

Spermaceti Organ

Sperm Whales are equipped with what is called as spermaceti organ and the Dwarf Sperm Whale has this as well.

The spermaceti organ is located at the whale’s forehead and it was called as such because marine biologists first thought that the white, waxy substance spilling off the whale’s forehead was its sperm when in fact it is an oily substance that is believed to alter the buoyancy of the whale.

Theories abound as to the actual purpose of the spermaceti although none so far has been conclusive perhaps due to the fact that these whales are very hard to spot since they like to stay in deeper waters.

These theories include that the spermaceti, when solidified inside the head, helps the whale dive in deeper waters; plus the solidified spermaceti protects the whale’s head, enabling it to ram into ships, bashing these repeatedly causing them to sink.