Photographer Franco Banfi had the extraordinary opportunity to witness and capture a rare phenomenon—the sleeping habits of sperm whales. For a long time, scientists pondered the question of whether sperm whales sleep and how they do it.
In 2008, a group of scientists from Japan and Great Britain stumbled upon a herd of sperm whales while conducting observations. To their surprise, the massive creatures were completely motionless, floating in an upright position in the water—a remarkable sight that had never been recorded before.
Further research revealed that sperm whales spend approximately 7% of their lives in a state of slumber, taking short intervals of 6 to 24 minutes to rest.
In the midst of this amazing scene, diver Sabrina Belloni played the role of a scuba diver-model, providing a stunning contrast as she swam next to the sleeping giants. The majestic and seemingly formidable sperm whales appeared graceful and harmonious in their natural ocean habitat.
Franco Banfi’s exceptional photographs captured this remarkable moment of nature’s wonders, shedding light on the fascinating and previously mysterious sleeping behavior of the impressive 40 ft sperm whales.
