answersLogoWhite

0

It has a substance in its head called spermaceti which is milky white and used to be mistaken for sperm. It had various commercial uses that made it quite valuable. It's thought to be associated with the animal's hearing, by helping its ears detect sound when under the water.
"The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in its head . " ~ Wikipedia
I believe it is named after the spermaceti that can be extracted from the whale's head. It is a white, milky substance that can easily be (and has been) mistaken for the whale's seman.

You're right: it is. It forms a fatty structure that may be connected with the animal's hearing underwater.

Obviously as mammals the male sperm whales also make reproductive sperm - but not in their heads as the old-time whale-hunters mistakenly thought!

User Avatar

Wiki User

8y ago

What else can I help you with?