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Stunning pictures show a group of 45 tonne sperm whales swimming within touching distance of humans in the Caribbean.

Underwater photographer Franco Banfi captured the images, showing a group of the huge cetaceans in amazing detail.

Sperm whales are the largest carnivores on earth, boasting seven-inch teeth and the only gullets in the whale kingdom large enough to swallow a person whole.

But far from being Moby Dick-style man eaters, this pod seems friendly enough to swim within touching distance of humans.

He said: "The communities of sperm whales of Dominica’s island are mainly composed by female and immature sperm whales living in multilevel societies.

"These social units about 6-12 often individuals that move together, raise their calves communally and share important knowledge.

"It is an amazing experience to swim beside them."

Sperm whales have the most highly developed social organisation of any of the great whales.

Their brains can weigh up to 8kg and are the largest and heaviest known of any modern or extinct animal.

Their massive heads can form up to a third of body length in males, which are three-times the size of females.

They are also the loudest animal on the planet and their calls can be heard from more than 5 miles away.

Mr Banfi, from Switzerland, added: "Sperm whales are amazing cetaceans, using echolocation to attain a uniquely sophisticated level of interpersonal communication.

"What they do is vocalise their own clicks back and forth to one another. The clicks are interpreted by the whales, not as sound, but as three-dimensional moving images that unfold directly inside their head.

"Sperm whale echolocation follows the same fundamental laws of acoustics that produce sonar imaging in submarines and ultrasound imaging in pre-natal care."