Researchers capture rare footage of a whale giving birth as her pod cooperates to assist

A once-in-a-lifetime sighting

Described by the team as an “exceptional rarity in the history of science”, the birth was observed by an international group of scientists from Project Ceti, whose main aim is to understand whale communication. Using a combination of a boat, drones and hydrophones (underwater sound recording devices), the team documented the whole event over roughly 5.5 hours. The mother, a 19-year-old female called Rounder, was helped in her labour by other females in the pod, a display of intergenerational support seldom seen outside primates.

How the pod pitched in

Over the 34-minute birth process, researchers watched several adult females working together. They dived under Rounder, often on their backs, and were observed “squeezing the newborn’s body between theirs, touching it with their heads.” Unrelated females also joined in, indicating the complex social bonds inside sperm whale pods. After the calf arrived, the pod’s behaviour “rapidly changed” with energetic involvement from all members, indicating cohesive social behaviour.

What the sounds revealed

During the birth, Project Ceti recorded a range of vocalisations and noted a shift in “vocal style.” Those changes in acoustic patterns suggest the pod was either coordinating to help with the birth or protecting the vulnerable newborn. The recordings add to evidence of how adaptable cetacean communication can be, and note that ancestral whales moved onto land and then returned to the sea over about 36 million years.

What this means for evolution, and what’s next

The observation adds detail to our picture of cetacean evolution, showing how some species have developed ways to prevent newborns from drowning. Such birth assistance has so far been recorded in only 9 of the 93 cetacean species, and is otherwise mostly known from primate groups. Shane Gero of Project Ceti told New Scientist, “This is the first evidence of birth assistance in non-primates. It is fascinating to see the intergenerational support from the grandmother to her labouring daughter, and the support from the other, unrelated females.”

Keeping an eye on the pod afterwards

After recording the birth, researchers monitored the pod for signs of its wellbeing. Following more than a year without sightings, the pod, including the newborn, was finally seen on 25 July last year, together with younger whales Accra and Aurora. Surviving past the first year is a good sign for a calf’s chances of reaching adulthood, according to the Project Ceti team.

The footage provides a rare view of sperm whale social behaviour and contributes data for research into their evolution and communication. The findings underline the complexity of cetacean social life and support further study of whale communication and behaviour.