 Running through the head are two air passages . The left passage runs alongside the spermaceti organ and goes directly to the blowhole , whilst the right passage runs underneath the spermaceti organ and passes air through a pair of phonic lips and into the distal sac at the very front of the nose . The distal sac is connected to the blowhole and the terminus of the left passage . When the whale is submerged , it can close the blowhole , and air that passes through the phonic lips can circulate back to the lungs . The sperm whale , unlike other odontocetes , has only one pair of phonic lips , whereas all other toothed whales have two , and it is located at the front of the nose instead of behind the melon . 
