#cetacean

FIRST-EVER VIDEO EVIDENCE CONFIRMS HEADBUTTING IN SPERM WHALES

Researchers have documented sperm whales headbutting each other using drone footage, confirming a behavior long speculated about from 19th-century whaling accounts. The study recorded three observations in the Azores and Balearic Islands where sub-adult whales collided at speeds up to 3.6 m/s, generating forces of approximately 200 kN. The individuals involved were younger whales, not the massive adult males previously hypothesized to engage in such contests.

These findings challenge previous skepticism that headbutting would risk damaging the whales' complex sound-producing anatomy. The behavior may function as rough play for practicing adult competition or play a role in social dynamics, such as the dispersal of maturing males from their natal groups. The opportunistic drone observations suggest such near-surface behaviors may be more common than previously recognized.

Gif: Headbutting behavior between two juvenile sperm whales. 4x speed. Full video here

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