Hunting sperm whales was a dangerous profession in the days before cannon-launched harpoons and motorized vessels. A small boat was lowered from the main ship and rowed quietly toward the whale. When close enough, a barbed harpoon was thrown into the whale's body. Sperm whales, enraged by an attack, have been known to turn on the boat, ram it with their heads, smash it, spill the crew out and crush the men in their powerful jaws. They can submerge for as long as fifty minutes and dive as deep as 3,300 feet in search of food.
Scientists suspect sperm whales hunt by using sound as a weapon.
In the head of the whale is an organ called the spermaceti. The sperm whale will then slurp the prey down whole and, in some cases, still alive. It is questionable, though, if even the largest squid would risk attacking an adult sperm whale. Giant squid and sperm whales have been observed in mortal combat, but it is difficult to say who was the original aggressor. Typically the squid will try to strangle the whale with its tentacles as the whale tries to eat the squid whole.