Sperm Whale Canyon

A submarine canyon drops from 300 metres to more than 800 metres just two kilometres off Dominica's leeward coast, providing the deep-water squid habitat that sustains the resident sperm whale clan. Research boats equipped with hydrophones locate the whales by their clicks before divers enter on snorkel for regulated in-water encounters. Sperm whales rest vertically at the surface in what researchers call logging behaviour, and calves are regularly observed nursing alongside adult females. The canyon wall itself is accessible to divers in the 20 to 40 metre range, where blacktip reef sharks and large grouper patrol the blue edge.