Rare sperm whale birth and coordinated caregiving revealed by drone footage and underwater audio

Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) has published two scientific studies presenting the most comprehensive documentation of a sperm whale birth ever recorded and the first quantitative evidence of cooperative birth assistance among non-primates. Published in Science and Scientific Reports, the studies analyze over six hours of underwater audio and aerial drone footage captured on July 8, 2023, in the waters off Dominica where researchers have been studying the lives of sperm whale families for over two decades.