Headbutting Behavior Between Sperm Whales Documented Using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles

2026/03/23 by Alec Burslem, Marga Cerdà, Txema Brotons +3 · 3 voices
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Marine animal studies overview #Ichthyology and Marine Biology #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior

paper · doi:10.1111/mms.70153

Abstract

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the OSF digital repository entitled 'Headbutting behaviour between sperm whales documented using unoccupied aerial vehicles: digital supplementary information': https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GUDBK.

Citations

• Estimating Total Body Lipid Store of Free‐Ranging Whales In Vivo Using Drone Photogrammetry and Biologging Tags

Discussions

• Sperm whales have been recorded headbutting for the first time by drone! This behavior has often been hypothesized (think Moby Dick) but never captured. Exciting news for the headbutting world! 🧪 doi [bsky, 74 points, 3 comments]
• New publication! 'Headbutting Behavior Between Sperm Whales Documented Using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles' Out in @marinemammalogy.bsky.social in collaboration with @lrendell.bsky.social, @azwhlab.bsk [bsky, 27 points, 2 comments]
• #whale Here's the paper describing #headbutting #spermwhales Primary lit, fresh off the press. First published: 23 March 2026 doi.org/10.1111/mms.... [bsky, 0 points, 1 comments]

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