Underwater Photographer Captures Rare Footage of Sperm Whales Sleeping Vertically

Sperm whales nap vertically for between 6 and 25 minutes, but are awake 93 percent of the time.

A rare set of images was captured recently by an underwater photographer. The photographs are so unusual that they will dispel a lot of preconceived notions and will also give new knowledge to common people. The underwater photographer has captured rare images of a pod of sleeping whales. 58-year-old Franco Banfi caught the magnificent creatures around 65 ft underwater. He was accompanied by his partner, 51-year-old free diver Sabrina, and captured the sea living mammals off the coast of the Caribbean Island Dominica. Franco Banfi shared these amazing photos on his Facebook page.

The Sperm Whales or cachalot are the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predators, they grow up to be 40ft long. The sperm whales are known to be quite social and spend around seven per cent of their time sleeping and take naps vertically for six to 25 minutes. In this particular case they slept for ten minutes. Mr Banfi, from Cadro, Switzerland, said, “This was a group of around ten sperm whales all sleeping together. I don’t know why they sleep vertically, maybe because they can use the sonar they have in their head to sense any danger approaching.” He added, “I was very lucky to see such a great moment in nature, and I’m thankful the whales trusted me and gave me the opportunity to attend the show. It doesn’t happen like that every time you see them.” Tardigrades Are The Toughest Animals On Earth And Can Easily Survive An Apocalypse

Check out the pictures:

The sperm whales are pelagic mammals and migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups whereas adult males live outside of the social circle leading solitary lives outside of the mating season.