First Footage of Sperm Whales Headbutting Captured

Researchers from the University of St. Andrews have captured the first documented footage of sperm whales deliberately headbutting each other, confirming long-held suspicions based on historical accounts from 19th-century mariners. The behavior was recorded using drones during fieldwork in the Azores and Balearic Islands between 2020 and 2022, with findings published on March 23, 2026, in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

The study, led by Dr. Alec Burslem, who conducted the research while at St. Andrews and is now at the University of Hawaii, revealed three instances of subadult whales colliding head-on near the ocean surface. Contrary to expectations that such clashes would involve large adult males in competition, the footage showed younger individuals engaging in the forceful strikes. Burslem described the discovery as a breakthrough, stating, "It was really exciting to observe this behavior, which we knew had been hypothesized for such a long time, but not yet documented and described systematically."

The observations provide empirical evidence for tales from the era of open-boat whaling, when sailors reported sperm whales using their massive heads to ram and push objects,...