First glimpse of sperm whale birth reveals teamwork to support newborn

In a groundbreaking observation, a female sperm whale was assisted during birth by 10 other females from her group, marking the first time such behavior has been noted in non-primates.

In July 2023, researchers who had been studying a group of sperm whales in the Caribbean since 2005 observed all 11 females congregating near the surface. Fortunately, drones were available to document the event as it unfolded.

Shortly thereafter, a calf’s flukes began to emerge. Over the following 30 minutes, the other females formed a coordinated protective circle around the mother and her newborn.

Upon the calf’s birth, the females took turns supporting it at the surface, allowing it to breathe and letting its flukes unfurl completely. In the early hours post-birth, newborn sperm whales lack buoyancy and require assistance to prevent drowning.

“This is the first evidence of birth assistance in non-primates,” states Shane Gero from Project CETI in New York.

Gero notes that such complex behavior was once thought to be unique to humans and only recently observed in non-human primates.

“Sperm whale society is led by strong female leadership, where knowledge is passed down through generations,” Gero explains. “It’s remarkable to see the support from the grandmother to her daughter in labor, as well as from the unrelated females.”

Approximately 18 minutes after the birth, short-finned pilot whales appeared, prompting defensive actions from the adult female sperm whales.

“The adult whales maintained a position between the newborn and the pilot whales, even from below,” says Giovanni Petri from Northeastern University London. “At times, they opened their jaws and moved their heads towards the approaching pilot whales. In one instance, a pilot whale collided with the nose of the adult female closest to the newborn at high speed. The sperm whales also changed their course when pilot whales swam directly in front of them.”

The researchers had installed underwater audio equipment to capture the sperm whales’ vocalizations as part of another study.

“Our acoustic findings are quite striking,” Petri remarks. “We noticed significant shifts in the whales’ vocal patterns during key moments: the start of labor and the initial encounters with pilot whales.”

These vocal changes were much more pronounced than the usual variation observed during the group’s social interactions, Petri notes. Once the crucial moments around the birth were over, the vocal patterns returned to normal.

The combination of acoustic data and visual observations helped researchers “link what these animals do with what they say,” Petri adds.

Gero mentions that they have yet to establish the calf’s gender. “We hope to see the newborn in the field soon, at which point we would name it. But we are aware it has survived the crucial first year of life, when calf mortality is very high.”

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