 Sperm whales are not the easiest of whales to watch , due to their long dive times and ability to travel long distances underwater . However , due to the distinctive look and large size of the whale , watching is increasingly popular . Sperm whale watchers often use hydrophones to listen to the clicks of the whales and locate them before they surface . Popular locations for sperm whale watching include the town of Kaikoura on New Zealand 's South Island , <unk> and Tromsø in Arctic Norway ; as well as the Azores , where the continental shelf is so narrow that whales can be observed from the shore , and Dominica where a long @-@ term scientific research program , The Dominica Sperm Whale Project , has been in operation since 2005 . 
