Overview
- The Journal of Experimental Biology paper published 23 July 2026 reports that researchers used suction‑cup tags and models to link bubble release with buoyancy control in resting sperm whales.
- Teams deployed tags on 42 whales off the Lofoten Islands in Norway that recorded blowhole bubble sounds and 3‑D movement during vertical, short-duration naps.
- Whales resting close to the surface emitted about 11 bubbles per nap while those ascending from deep dives emitted about three to four bubbles, matching expectations from pressure and lung gas volume differences.
- Physics-based simulations using tissue density, drag and onboard gas volume show bubble release reduces positive buoyancy and can produce near-neutral suspension just below the sea surface.
- The study leaves open whether whales actively control bubble release or whether it is passive off‑gassing and notes possible implications for CO2/N2 exchange and diving physiology that future work will test.