How do sperm whales and Cuvier’s beaked whales dive to depths of over 2km without imploding?
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Sperm whales have a few biological tricks up their little sleeves to prevent the kind of pressure difference which would lead to implosion.
They store up to one ton of a very interesting fatty liquid called spermaceti in their heads, which solidifies and expands when diving into deeper colder waters which then creates a counter-pressure. Sperm whales can also deliberately thaw the frozen spermaceti by redirecting their blood flow when they want to resurface.
Their ribs are also attached to their spines by way of flexible cartilage, which allows them to compress their ribcage when diving deep.
It’s a fascinating subject.
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