Where has the sperm whale been recorded?

Physeter macrocephalus occurrence evidence comes from 9,485 records in 79 countries and territories, from 1520 to 2026. Most records come from Portugal.

• 9,485 records
• 79 places
• 117 years recorded
• Mammalia class

Observation evidence passport

Compare this animal’s observation pattern

When it is recorded

Peak month: July. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.

Records over time

Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.

Where sperm whale has been recorded

The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for sperm whale. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.

Showing the top 40 of 79 places.