The birth of an endangered sperm whale was captured for the first time. Because the calf was precious, 10 females immediately lifted it above the water to prevent drowning and protected it from predators. It is definitive evidence that whales practice cooperative childcare.
The research team of the "CETI" said on the 27th in the journal Science that "off Dominica in the Caribbean of the North Atlantic, we filmed for the first time the birth of a sperm whale and the sight of companions caring for the newborn calf."
CETI is an international research project that deciphers whale sounds using artificial intelligence (AI). Its name imitates SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. This study was led by David Gruber of City University of New York and Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
◇ Other family females also helped with the birth
In July 2023, the researchers found 11 females from two families that usually lived separately gathered near the surface. When they launched a drone, the whales were clustering around one individual. In a moment, blood spread on the surface. At first, they thought the female in the middle of the group had been attacked by a companion, but soon a small tail popped out of the water. It was the moment they filmed a sperm whale giving birth for the first time.
The birth of the sperm whale lasted 34 minutes. The researchers documented the birth and the immediate cooperative rearing that followed. In drone footage, the CETI team labeled each whale and used AI to analyze their movement directions and roles. Through this, they identified behavior in which whales pushed the newborn calf to the surface to help it take its first breath and protected it from other predators.
As soon as the calf was born, female whales gathered around and took turns supporting it at the surface so it could breathe. A calf does not achieve buoyancy for several hours until the tail flukes fully unfurl. During that time, the females helped prevent the calf from sinking and drowning. Eighteen minutes after birth, when a false killer whale appeared, the sperm whale females also showed defensive behavior.
The researchers said this is the first time in a non-primate animal that behavior has been observed in which individuals care for a companion's newborn. Shane Gero, a co-corresponding author and adjunct professor at Carleton University in Canada, said, "Sperm whale society is led by females, and knowledge is passed down through generations and shared among females," adding, "It is truly fascinating to see a grandmother helping a daughter giving birth to her grandchild, and unrelated females helping as well."
◇ They are also decoding the meaning in whale sounds
The sperm whale is a large whale that reaches 15 meters in length and weighs up to 50 tons. Among toothed whales that bite prey with teeth, like orcas and dolphins, it is the largest. Despite its massive size, it was helpless against humans. Reckless overhunting to obtain ambergris used in high-end perfumes and whale oil caused sperm whale numbers to plummet. In the 18th century, more than 1.1 million lived worldwide, but as commercial whaling ramped up, their numbers are estimated to have fallen to 29% by 1880.
Scientists believe that understanding collective behavior and communication during birth can provide crucial information for conserving the endangered sperm whale. The CETI team is already conducting research to decipher sperm whale sounds. In 2024, a team led by MIT professor Daniela Rus reported that they recorded the sounds of sperm whales living in the Caribbean and, using AI, identified a sort of alphabet that functions as basic units.
For the original project to decode sperm whale sounds, the team also installed underwater audio recording equipment. According to a paper published the same day in Scientific Reports, a sister journal of Nature, the vocal patterns of sperm whales changed markedly when labor began or when other whales threatened the calf. Once the birthing process ended, their vocalizations returned to normal levels. As with humans, conversations in urgent moments differed from everyday exchanges.
Of course, as the authors acknowledged, this is the first observation of a sperm whale birth, so it has limitations for generalization. Still, scientists note that while access to marine animals like whales was previously difficult, the introduction of advanced technologies such as drones, underwater microphones, and AI is expected to accelerate research. The team said it plans to cross-reference vocalization data with birth footage to determine specifically which sounds are associated with particular behaviors.
References
Science (2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady9280
Scientific Reports (2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-27438-3
Nature Communications (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47221-8