They usually dive to depths of 300 to 800 meters, but sometimes it’s from 1 to 2 kilometers or even more. As of 2018, the record holder in diving is the Cuvier’s beaked whale, whose record is 2992 meters in 138 minutes.
Cetaceans dive in search of food. Dives can last up to an hour, usually 35 minutes at a depth of 400 meters. Sperm whales feed on several species, especially giant squid, octopus, and fish, but their diet consists mainly of medium-sized squid.
Surveys conducted in the Galapagos show that they mostly feed on squid of the genus Histioteuthis (62 percent), Ancistrocheirus (16 percent) and Octopoteuthis (7 percent). It is estimated that the total annual food consumption of squid worldwide is about 91 million tons (human seafood consumption is estimated at 115 million tons).
