Do sperm whales sleep? It’s not a question that gets asked frequently, but when it does, none is the wiser to answer it. That’s until now, of course, because now we have photo proof of just how these ocean giants nap.

Pro underwater photographer Franco Banfi was the one who snapped the extremely rare photo while following a pack of sperm whales in the Caribbean Sea, near Dominica Island.

They suddenly stopped moving and went into a synchronized vertical rest. A behavior that was first documented only back in 2008, when a team of biologists from the UK and Japan drifted into a group of completely still sperm whales. After further studies, they found that this collective nap occurs for approximately 7 percent of the whale’s life, in short intervals of just 6-24 minutes.

Scroll below to see the surreal image among other amazing photos Franco captured while swimming with diver Sabrina Belloni among these humongous animals.

More info: Franco Banfi | Instagram (h/t: demilked)

Photographer Franco Banfi snapped an extremely rare photo of sperm whales sleeping

A behavior that was first documented only back in 2008

When a group of scientists drifted into a pack of completely still sperm whales

After further studies, they found that this collective nap occurs for approximately 7 percent of the whale’s life…

In short intervals of just 6 to 24 minutes

Diver Sabrina Belloni posed next to these majestic creatures

Capturing the immense scale and unique beauty of these underwater giants

Here are some more facts:

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