File:Mother Whale Feeding Its Calf By Injecting Milk Into The Sea

A photographer has captured incredible images of a gigantic sperm whale feeding her calf underwater.

Mike Korostelev, 38, from Moscow, was in the Indian Ocean when he captured the special encounter with the whales.

The stunning shots show the mother whale injecting milk into the water for her calf. They can both be then seen splashing their tales as they swim away.

Mike said: 'It was big honour for me to be there and so close in that private moment of whales life.'

Sperm whales have inverted nipples so when the calf is ready to feed, they dive underneath their mother and nudge the mammary glands.

Once stimulated, the mother's nipples emerge and milk is released into the water. The young calf then feeds on the milk directly from the water.

Research suggests that sperm whales feed on milk in this way because their mouths are not conveniently shaped to support suckling.

The female sperm whales and their offspring usually gather in pods of up to 20 members.

The sperm whale or cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator.

Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season.

The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to twenty years, and care for the calves for more than a decade.


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