Researchers from the University of St Andrews have documented sperm whales striking each other with their heads, capturing the behavior on video and formally describing it for the first time. The finding supports stories from 19th-century sailors who reported whales using their heads to ram and push objects, sometimes even sinking ships. Those dramatic encounters later inspired Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick.
Using drone technology, the research team recorded sperm whales colliding head-on while also observing their surrounding social behavior. The footage was gathered during fieldwork in the Azores and Balearic islands between 2020 and 2022, offering a rare look at how these animals behave near the ocean surface.
Younger Whales Drive the Behavior
The study, published today (March 23rd) in Marine Mammal Science, found that sub-adult whales were the ones engaging in headbutting, not the large adult males scientists had previously expected. This unexpected result raises new questions about why the behavior occurs and how it might influence group relationships and social structure.
Lead author Dr. Alec Burlem, who conducted the research at the University of St Andrews alongside collaborators from the university of the Azores and Asociación Tursiops (an NGO based in the Balearic islands), said: “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.”
Why Do Sperm Whales Headbutt
Scientists say more data is needed to understand the purpose of this behavior. As drones become more widely used, researchers expect to capture more examples of headbutting and other near-surface activities that have largely gone unnoticed.
Some scientists suggest the behavior may have developed from physical contests between whales, possibly linked to competition among males. Others have argued that repeatedly using the head as a weapon could be risky, since it might damage structures essential for producing sounds used in echolocation and communication.
Historic Accounts of Ship Collisions
Reports of sperm whales using their heads to strike objects date back to open-boat whaling in the 19th century. One of the most famous incidents involved the whaleship Essex, a 27m sailing vessel that was reportedly sunk by two direct strikes from a large bull sperm whale near the Galapagos in 1820. The event later helped inspire ‘Moby Dick’.
Owen Chase, First mate upon the Essex described the force of the whale’s headbutt in a contemporaneous report quote
“I turned around and saw him about one hundred rods [approx. 500 m] directly ahead of us, coming down with twice his ordinary speed of around 24 knots, and it appeared with tenfold fury and vengeance in his aspect. The surf flew in all directions about him with the continual violent thrashing of his tail. His head about half out of the water, and in that way he came upon us, and again struck the ship.”
Other accounts from the same era describe similar sinkings, including those of Ann Alexander and Kathleen.
Drones Are Changing Whale Research
Dr. Burslem, now based at the University of Hawaii, highlighted the role of new technology in advancing marine science: “This unique overhead perspective for observing and documenting near-surface behavior is just one of the ways drone technology is transforming the study of wildlife biology. It’s exciting to think about what as-yet unseen behaviors we may soon uncover, as well how more headbutting observations may help us to shed light on the functions the behavior may serve. If there are people out there with similar footage, we would be very keen to hear from them.”