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Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath
Unrelated animals worked with the mother and her relatives, marking the first known evidence of whales from multiple families assisting in a birth
Quick read
A Smithsonian article reports drone-captured footage and a scientific study documenting sperm whales from multiple families helping deliver and support a newborn calf. Someone would visit to see evidence of cooperative, cross-family behavior and learn how researchers analyzed video and vocalizations.
- Full birth captured on video with two drones
- Whales from two families cooperated to lift the calf
- Machine learning used to identify roles and patterns
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A closer look at Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath
What this SmithsonianMag page reports
This article describes researchers observing and filming a sperm whale birth off Dominica in July 2023. The team recorded a female named Rounder giving birth while a group of 11 sperm whales gathered nearby and helped the newborn. The footage shows other whales, mostly females and including some from a different family, assisting with the delivery and repeatedly lifting the calf to the surface so it could breathe during its first hours.
What you can actually do on the page
Read a narrative of the observation that cites researchers and related coverage (Scientific American, National Geographic, Science). The article summarizes the published study in Science and mentions a companion paper in Scientific Reports about vocalizations recorded during the birth. It links the observation to other recent sperm whale studies and provides author credit and a subscribe prompt for the site’s stories.
Who will find this useful
People interested in marine biology, animal behavior and field observations will get the reported details and sources. Readers who want follow-up science can note the mention of published papers in Science and Scientific Reports and the plans to match audio with video. Anyone looking for primary source context on rare cetacean behavior will find the article’s citations and quoted researchers helpful.
Questions people ask about Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath
- Does the article include video of the birth?
- The text says researchers captured the full birth on video with two drones; the article summarizes that footage but does not itself state whether the video is embedded on the page.
- Were the helpers related to the calf’s mother?
- The piece reports that most helpers were female and that whales from two families - including some not usually seen foraging together - participated, so not all helpers were close kin.
- Did the researchers analyze sounds made during the birth?
- Yes; the team published a companion paper describing vocalizations recorded during the birth and hopes to match audio to the footage to interpret specific sounds.
Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath was shared on NexURLs by NexURLs on November 8, 2026, in Nature & Animals.
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Quick answers
What is Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath?
Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath (smithsonianmag.com): A Smithsonian article reports drone-captured footage and a scientific study documenting sperm whales from multiple families helping deliver and support a newborn calf. Someone would visit to see evidence of cooperative, cross-family behavior and learn how researchers analyzed video and...
Who shared Sperm whales help newborn calf take its first breath on NexURLs?
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