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Rare footage captures sperm whale birth in wild; other females assist in ‘first-of-its-kind’ behaviour: Watch
Researchers from Project CETI were observing a group of 11 whales near the Caribbean island of Dominica when they witnessed a 19-year-old preparing to deliver her second calf.
The actual birth itself lasted about 34 minutes, beginning when the calf’s tail became visible and ending with its full emergence
Nature has a way of surprising us, but some moments go far beyond anything we expect. In a remarkable first, scientists have captured rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth in the wild, and even more striking was the way other female whales gathered around to help both the mother and her calf.
The discovery was made by researchers from Project CETI, a global initiative focused on decoding whale communication. On July 8, 2023, their team was observing a group of 11 whales near the Caribbean island of Dominica when they witnessed a 19-year-old whale, known as Rounder, preparing to deliver her second calf. According to The Guardian, she was encircled by members of her pod as the event unfolded.
For over five hours, scientists closely monitored the scene from their boat, using drones to capture aerial footage and underwater equipment to record sounds. Their findings, later published in Scientific Reports and Science, mark one of the rarest documented events in marine research.
Among the 93 known cetacean species, which include whales, dolphins and porpoises, only nine have ever been seen giving birth in the wild. What made this instance even more extraordinary was the involvement of females unrelated to the mother.
Shane Gero, a member of the Project CETI team, told New Scientist: “This is the first evidence of birth assistance in non-primates. It is fascinating to see the intergenerational support from the grandmother to her labouring daughter, and the support from the other, unrelated females.”
The actual birth itself lasted about 34 minutes, beginning when the calf’s tail became visible and ending with its full emergence. During labour, several adult females positioned themselves beneath Rounder, often flipping onto their backs with their heads directed toward her genital slit, appearing to assist in the process.
Rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth has offered scientists a window into the behavior of these large, elusive mammals. pic.twitter.com/YqIPSpY4bC
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 26, 2026
Right after the calf was born, the pod’s behaviour shifted noticeably. Researchers noted that all the adults became highly active, crowding around the newborn. They described how the whales were “squeezing the newborn’s body between theirs, touching it with their heads,” while also guiding it through the water – “pushing it around, under the water, and on to and across their bodies above the surface.”
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In sperm whale societies, calves quickly become the centre of attention, with other pod members often helping care for them while the mother hunts.
Interestingly, after this rare encounter in 2023, the pod disappeared for over a year. The young calf was eventually spotted again on July 25 the following year, swimming alongside Accra and Aurora, two other juveniles in the group.
The footage has since spread widely on social media after being shared by the Associated Press, which wrote: “Rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth has offered scientists a window into the behavior of these large, elusive mammals.”
Online reactions poured in quickly. One viewer called it “a massive breakthrough for marine biology,” while others simply expressed awe, with comments like “wow” and “Very interesting knowledge.”
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