Overview
- The findings, published March 23 in Marine Mammal Science, provide the first documented video evidence of sperm whales striking with their heads.
- Drones operating in the Azores and Balearic Islands between 2020 and 2022 recorded several near-surface collisions.
- One encounter was matched with tag recordings of clicks and codas, placing the behavior in a social context.
- Researchers documented head-to-head and head-to-body strikes involving sub-adults, including a case where a male hit a female.
- The team suggests possibilities such as male competition or juvenile rough play and calls for more drone and acoustic records, with work led by the University of St Andrews, the University of the Azores, and Asociación Tursiops.