In July 2023, drones filmed the first documented birth of a sperm whale within a matriarchal social group of about 10 females, who cooperatively lifted and protected the newborn to the surface to help it breathe.

Researchers place the event in a broader context, noting similar midwifery and cooperative birthing behaviors in other whale species and suggesting such practices may have deep evolutionary roots, while cautions about broad generalizations.

Sperm whale societies are matriarchal with lifelong bonds among mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and others, while males roam solo, highlighting a pronounced sex-based distribution in their ecology.

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Defensive actions during the birth included protecting the newborn from below and preventing collisions with approaching pilot whales.

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Researchers aim to map audio codas to specific behaviors to decode whale communications and deepen understanding of the group’s social world.

Possible motivations for the cooperative birthing include defense of the calf from threats or helping the calf reach the surface to breathe, though exact reasons remain unclear.

The calf’s sex remains undetermined; field observations may lead to naming, with acknowledged high mortality risk in the first year.

Open questions linger about how such groups form and join during births, with video constraints limiting full mechanistic understanding.

Vocalizations shifted during labor, with increased clicks and a distinctive 1+1+3 coda, likely reinforcing clan identity and social bonds within Unit A.

The event occurred in the Caribbean in July 2023, captured during long-term monitoring of a group observed since 2005.