Elder female sperm whales act as midwives in drone footage.

Drone footage from July 2023 shows elder female sperm whales surrounding a mother and helping lift a newborn calf so it could breathe, and Project CETI reported related findings in studies published in Nature and Science.

Researchers released and analyzed drone footage that captured a sperm whale birth and the unusual assistance provided by other females. The footage was recorded in July 2023 and examined by Project CETI researchers. Two related papers were published, one in Nature about vocal behavior and one in Science describing the collaborative birthing. Scientists say the assisting whales formed a close group around the mother and helped raise the newborn to the surface so it could breathe. What researchers observed: - Drone footage recorded the birth of a sperm whale calf in July 2023. - The birthing female, identified as Rounder, was surrounded by relatives and elder females including her mother, Lady Oracle, and the elder Atwood. - Other named whales present included Rounder’s sister Accra, aunt Aurora, a juvenile Ariel, and four additional unidentified females. - The assisting whales formed a tight cluster and took turns holding the calf at the surface for about three hours so it could breathe. - Project CETI released two studies: a Nature paper on vocalizations during the event and a Science paper on the cooperative birthing behavior. Summary: The observation documents a rare example of nonhuman assistance during birth and has been reported in peer-reviewed journals. Undetermined at this time.