Whales Were Filmed Headbutting Each Other for the First Time. Why Are They Doing It? |
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Whales Were Filmed Headbutting Each Other for the First Time. Why Are They Doing It?
Scientists have, for the first time, captured clear footage of sperm whales repeatedly ramming each other headfirst.
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According to research from the University of St Andrews, scientists have, for the first time ever, captured clear footage of sperm whales repeatedly ramming each other headfirst. Is it a friendly behavior, like when a cat head-butts you? Or is it aggressive behavior to establish dominance or territory? No one’s sure just yet. There’s still a lot more study ahead to make those determinations, especially given that it was a long-rumored behavior rarely documented.
The observations, published in Marine Mammal Science, come from drone footage collected between 2020 and 2022 over the Azores and Balearic regions. Researchers initially launched drones for routine monitoring, like tracking body condition and collecting blood samples. In the midst of all that, they recorded sperm whales forcefully colliding head-to-head and head-to-body.
Historical accounts of this behavior date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, when whalers described whales sinking ships with their head butts. That’s a tale that went on to partially inspire Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Now, scientists finally have direct visual evidence of whales doing this to each other. Melville’s ghost patiently awaits evidence of whales ramming ships to feel vindicated from the great beyond.
Whales Filmed Headbutting Each Other for First Time in New Video
The new footage shows the headbutting behavior occurring in multiple scenarios. There are similarly sized whales clashing near the surface, males competing around a female, and repeated headbutts that suggest intentional contact. Acoustic recordings captured alongside the video include clicks and codas, which are sounds typically linked to social interaction.
Researchers don’t believe this is outright combat, at least not in every case. Instead, the leading theory is that the behavior represents “rough play,” particularly among younger rambunctious males, like puppies gnawing at each other to get their energy out. In many species, not just whales, this kind of physical rough play is a rehearsal for adult competition, an iron sharpens iron style of practice in strength and strategy that they’ll need later in life for mating and defending against enemies.
The researchers also think these encounters may mark transitional phases and aspects of a whale’s social life. Young males eventually leave their pods and become solitary, and this kind contacted be part of that shift.
All of the headbutting incidents occurred within a relatively short time frame once the drones were introduced, suggesting the behavior may be much more common than previously thought but difficult to notice because of its brevity. It’s the kind of thing that can’t be easily noticed from a boat bobbing on the surface.
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