A group of sperm whales, including individuals that are not related, help support a newborn calf at the surface in the hours following its birth. | Project CETI

Scientists have captured one of the most detailed recordings of a sperm whale birth ever documented, using high-tech drones and underwater audio.

A global research group known as Project CETI, or the Cetacean Translation Initiative, documented the birth in a study published in Science and Nature’s Scientific Reports . The research draws on more than six hours of underwater audio and aerial drone footage collected on July 8, 2023, in waters off Dominica, where scientists have studied sperm whale families for over 20 years. The findings provide new insight into whale behavior and social structure.

According to a report by NPR , CETI researchers were tracking a sperm whale in the Caribbean when they encountered a larger group of 11 whales gathered near the surface. The group appeared unusually still and less social than expected.…