Where to see the Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus · mammal · Physeteridae
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is recorded in 154 protected areas and wildlife sites across 18 countries in our database. The places with the strongest evidence are Canal Faial-Pico/Sector Faial (Portugal), Cetáceos da Madeira (Portugal) and The Gully Marine Protected Area (Canada).
Where is the best place to see the Sperm Whale?
Based on GBIF records and our guides, the best-documented places to see the Sperm Whale are Canal Faial-Pico/Sector Faial (Portugal), Cetáceos da Madeira (Portugal) and The Gully Marine Protected Area (Canada). Most sites are in Australia (87), United States of America (13) and Netherlands (10). It appears in 1 trip report in our library.
Top 25 places for the Sperm Whale
| # | Place | Country | GBIF records | Years | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canal Faial-Pico/Sector Faial | Portugal | 281 | 2001–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 2 | Cetáceos da Madeira | Portugal | 169 | 2007–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 3 | The Gully Marine Protected Area | Canada | 136 | 1964–2024 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 4 | Galápagos Marine Reserve | Ecuador | 91 | 1998–2023 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 5 | South-west Corner Marine Park | Australia | 81 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 6 | Phoenix Islands Protected Area | Kiribati | 73 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 7 | Kaikōura North Bay (former limestone quarry) Scenic Reserve | New Zealand | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 8 | Pigeon Island National Park | Sri Lanka | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 9 | Kean Point Scenic Reserve | New Zealand | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 10 | Abrolhos Marine Park | Australia | 38 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 11 | Mornington Peninsula National Park | Australia | 32 | 1972–2002 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 12 | Encounter Marine Park | Australia | 30 | 1987–2012 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 13 | Dorsal de Nasca National Reserve | Peru | 28 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 14 | Coral Sea Habitat Protection Zone | Australia | 27 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 15 | Noordzeekustzone | Netherlands | 26 | 1761–2021 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 16 | Área Marinha Protegida do Banco Condor | Portugal | 25 | 2009–2021 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 17 | Área de Proteção Ambiental da Ilha de Trindade | Brazil | 23 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 18 | Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto | Mexico | 23 | 1993–2006 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 19 | Waddenzee | Netherlands | 23 | 1761–2016 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 20 | Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park | Australia | 22 | 2014 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 21 | Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park | Australia | 22 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
| 22 | Ocean Beach Conservation Area | Australia | 22 | 1980–1981 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 23 | Canal Faial-Pico/Sector Pico | Portugal | 21 | 2009–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 24 | Lord Howe Marine Park | Australia | 20 | 1989 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 25 | Gascoyne Marine Park | Australia | 16 | – | Recorded on GBIF |
129 more places in the interactive map.
By country
Australia: 87, United States of America: 13, Netherlands: 10, Portugal: 8, Brazil: 5, Chile: 4, Canada: 3, New Zealand: 3, Mexico: 3, Germany: 3, United Kingdom: 3, Norway: 3, Ecuador: 2, France: 2, Dominican Rep.: 2, Kiribati: 1, Sri Lanka: 1 and Peru: 1.
Seen on trips
The Sperm Whale is recorded in these trip reports:
- Sri Lanka Mammal Watching Trip Report, March 2011: Royle Safaris — Royle Safaris
Tours that have recorded it
- Sri Lanka Wildlife Exploration Tour — Royle Safaris
In our guides
Read the full species account in our Sulawesi guide, Singapore guide, Malaysia guide, India guide.
Take it with you
Build a free printable field guide or e-book for any of these places, with photos and a checklist.
Make a field guide for Canal Faial-Pico/Sector FaialPhoto: (c) Vsevolod Rudyi, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0.
GBIF downloads: Portugal, Canada, Ecuador, Australia, Kiribati, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Peru, Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, United States of America.
Data last updated 2026-11-05. Species–place links come from GBIF occurrence downloads (GBIF.org) matched to protected-area boundaries from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and other open boundary sources, plus places listed by our own guides. Record counts are what has been reported to GBIF, not population sizes. Reptiles and amphibians are never shown at park level. How this database works · Data sources and limits.