Sperm whales take their time making decisions, scientists say
- Published
- comments
Do you like to take your time making decisions?
Well, it turns out that humans aren't the only species who think things through carefully.
Scientists say that sperm whales can take up to an hour and a half to decide whether to turn left or right!
They also found that the mammals communicate with each other in the ocean using a type of morse code - and it varies depending on which group they're in.
What did scientists find?
Sperm whales have the largest known brain of any modern or extinct animal - weighing on average nearly 8kg!
Scientists used underwater microphones and drones in the Pacific Ocean to take a closer look at sperm whales and their feeding habits and sounds.
The research, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, found that there were seven distinct "clans" - or groups - of the mammals living in the Pacific Ocean, with around 20,000 whales in each group.
Each clan had unique morse code-like sequences of sound they use to communicate with each other.
Experts also discovered that whales like to make group decisions - rather than rely on a leader in the clan.
However, this way of working means that some whales have been seen "taking up to an hour or more" deciding on whether to turn left or right!