Rare Sperm Whale Birth, Cooperative Care Revealed

Project CETI publishes landmark studies on sperm whale birth and communication

Mar. 27, 2026 at 5:15am

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Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) has published two groundbreaking studies in Science and Nature's Scientific Reports, providing the most comprehensive documentation of a sperm whale birth ever recorded and the first quantitative evidence of cooperative birth assistance among non-primates. The research analyzes over six hours of underwater audio and aerial drone footage captured in 2023 off the coast of Dominica, where researchers have been studying sperm whale families for decades.

Why it matters

These findings fundamentally reshape our understanding of whale society, revealing deeply coordinated social care during one of the most vulnerable moments of a whale's life. The research provides new insights into the communication, cognition, and evolutionary history of sperm whales, a species that is still not fully understood.

The details

The studies document an entire sperm whale unit - both related and unrelated females from two matrilines - working together to support the labor, birth, and early moments of a newborn calf. Researchers observed coordinated lifting, physical support, and caregiving behaviors rarely witnessed in marine mammals. Audio data also revealed distinct shifts in vocal styles during key moments of the birth, adding a new dimension to Project CETI's ongoing work decoding sperm whale communication.

  • The birth event was captured on July 8, 2023.
  • The studies were published in March 2026.

The players

Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative)

A nonprofit organization and collaboration with the National Geographic Society that applies advanced machine learning and technology to listen to and translate the communication of sperm whales.

David Gruber

National Geographic Explorer, Founder and President of Project CETI, and Distinguished Professor of Biology at the City University of New York.

Diana Reiss

Professor in the Animal Behavior and Conservation Program in the Department of Psychology at Hunter College, CUNY.

Shane Gero

National Geographic Explorer, Biology Lead for Project CETI, and founder of The Dominica Sperm Whale Project.

Rounder

The mother whale giving birth, known to researchers since 2005 as part of Unit A.

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What they’re saying

“These findings fundamentally reshape how we understand whale society. What we're seeing is deeply coordinated social care during one of the most vulnerable moments of life.”

— David Gruber, National Geographic Explorer, Founder and President of Project CETI

“This work speaks to the fact that longitudinal studies are critical. When you're as familiar with the individual animals, like the CETI team is with this unit of whales, the trust these whales have with their team is unique. I'm not sure this unit would tolerate observers being so close in any other instance.”

— Diana Reiss, Professor in the Animal Behavior and Conservation Program, Hunter College, CUNY

“This is the most detailed window we've ever had into one of the most important moments in a whale's life. Because this family unit has been studied for decades, we could see what the grandmother was doing, how the new big sister acted, and how each helped mom and newborn, placing this rare birth within a deep social and behavioral context.”

— Shane Gero, Biology Lead for Project CETI, Scientist in Residence at Carleton University, National Geographic Explorer

What’s next

The research team plans to continue studying the communication and social behaviors of this sperm whale unit, as well as expand their observations to other whale populations, to further understand the evolutionary origins and functions of cooperative caregiving during birth.

The takeaway

This groundbreaking research on sperm whale birth and communication demonstrates the remarkable social complexity and cognitive capabilities of these marine mammals, challenging preconceptions about non-human intelligence and the origins of cooperative behavior.