Latest news with #spermwhale
New York Times
7 days ago
- Science
- New York Times
How Scientists Are Using Drones to Study Sperm Whales
In the waters off Dominica in the Caribbean, a drone descends from the sky toward a sperm whale. Instead of dropping a tag from above, this drone will press against the whale's back to attach a specialized sensor. The tag's suction cups will stick to the whale's skin, allowing the device to record audio of these marine mammals communicating. The technique, which researchers call tap-and-go, is described in a new study published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday. The findings demonstrate that the approach is a possible way to gather vital scientific data while minimizing the disturbance to whales. 'This is definitely the future,' said Jeremy Goldbogen, a marine biologist at Stanford University who was not involved with the research. 'It's really exciting to see these new innovations,' he said. Scientists have long used a traditional tagging method that involves standing on a boat's prow and using a 20-foot pole to attach the tag to the whale. But the boat's noisiness and proximity to the whales can cause them stress. The method also takes a lot of time and coordination, said Daniel Vogt, a research engineer at Harvard and the lead author of the study. 'We always wanted to improve this method,' he said of traditional tagging. Drones, in comparison, allow scientists to reach the whale from a distance, and more quickly. 'We want to reduce the disturbance to the animal while improving the quality of the data that we collect,' Mr. Vogt said. In recent years, drone technology has changed the way scientists study whales. Drones offer more than eyes in the sky: They can identify and measure individual whales, compare their behavior at the sea surface and even collect biological samples. By flying through the clouds of vapor, or 'blow,' that whales emit when they surface to breathe, drones can gather information about the whale's genetics, hormones and microbiomes. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
What a 5,000-year-old whale tooth tells us about ancient craftspeople
A rare sperm whale tooth, discovered at the Copper Age Valencina archaeological site in southwest Spain, offers new insights into ancient Iberian artistry. This fossil, dated to between 5,300 and 4,150 years ago, is the first marine mammal tooth of its kind found from this period in Iberia. Copper Age craftspeople likely collected the tooth from an ancient shoreline and fashioned it into personal ornaments or symbolic artifacts before its deliberate burial. Analysis revealed the tooth belonged to an adult sperm whale, showing signs of natural marine erosion and distinct human modifications like drilled holes and cut marks. The discovery significantly enhances understanding of ivory use in prehistoric times.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Huge 50ft beast from the depths of the ocean washes up on Oregon coast
A 50-foot giant from the depths of the Pacific Ocean has washed up on the Oregon coast. The massive creature - a 53-foot male sperm whale - was found ashore north of about 84 miles west of Portland, its barnacle-scarred body lay battered and still. According to a Facebook post from the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, the sprawling whale washed ashore between Del Rey and Sunset Beach on the afternoon of May 29. When marine experts discovered the beached behemoth, they said its 'spine showed signs of blunt-force trauma and hemorrhaging' consistent with a fatal collision at sea. A necropsy was conducted on Monday by the Cascadia Research Collective, the Seaside Aquarium and Portland State University to help in determining the whale's cause of death. 'During the necropsy, damage to the vertebrate was visible along with signs of hemorrhage. This helped the team determine that this whale was struck by a vessel,' the Seaside Aquarium said. However, the dead whale had been spotted long before it washed ashore. According to the aquarium, the whale was initially reported dead on May 25, around 15 miles offshore. Four days later, on May 27, it was seen again - this time only seven miles from land, according to the Seaside Aquarium. 'The whale will be left on the beach to decompose naturally,' the post added. The natural decomposition process offers a rare chance for beachgoers to witness one of the ocean's giants up close. It also provides a nutrition boost to the surrounding ecosystem. Scavengers such as turkey vultures, bald eagles and even coyotes will have access to the whale's remains for weeks or even months to come. The Seaside Aquarium has since warned onlookers not to touch the giant sea creature. The enormous whale's spine showed signs of blunt-force trauma and hemorrhaging consistent with a fatal collision at sea 'Please remember to look - but do not touch. Marine mammals may spread potential diseases to humans and pets,' the aquarium wrote. Male sperm whales can grow to nearly 60 feet in length and weigh over 40 tons. They are known to live up to 60 years, with males maturing around the age of 50, typically reaching about 52 feet. Their diet includes deep-water species such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish. While their population is slowly recovering, sperm whales remain listed as endangered.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sperm whale hit by vessel, washes ashore near Seaside
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 53-foot sperm whale, which was struck by a vessel, washed ashore north of Seaside on Thursday afternoon, days after it died, the Sunday. The adult male was first reported dead on May 23 about 15 miles offshore. Four days later, the whale was about 7 miles offshore. Once it washed ashore between Del Ray and Sunset Beach, officials were able to do a necropsy that revealed the whale died after being hit by a vessel. The whale will stay on the beach to decompose and 'provide a nutrition boost to the local ecosystem,' authorities said. The whale will provide food for turkey vultures, bald eagles and coyotes 'for quite some time.' Astoria police wear 'The Goonies' patches in honor of Oregon film's 40th anniversary However, people should stay away from the whale. 'Marine mammals may spread potential diseases to humans and pets,' the Seaside Aquarium said. Though authorities said the whale was an adult male, they did not provide an estimated age. However, these male sperm whales can reach 60 feet and more than 40 tons while living up to 60 years. Males mature around 50 with a length of about 52 feet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Shocking moment giant 50ft sperm whale is found on Brit holiday beach – before LORRY needed to tow 35-tonne beast away
THIS is the shocking moment a gargantuan 50-foot, 35-tonne sperm whale is found on a Brit holiday beach before needing to get towed away by a lorry due to its size. The enormous marine mammal had apparently suffered a fatal strike to the head by a passing vessel in tourist hotspot Tenerife, Spain. 5 5 A Brit expat spotted the gargantuan whale washed up on the beach outside his apartment yesterday morning. The 51-year-old said he walked to the front window 'with his coffee in hand and was stumped to see a whale on the small beach below my apartment'. He added: 'It's not every day you find a whale washed up on your doorstep.' Shocking footage shows the massive creature - which are often between 15 to 18 metres long - laying on the beach. Confused locals are seen approaching the mammal before touching its tail. The sperm whale was already dead by the time its massive carcass was swept ashore. Authorities scrambled quickly to the scene to take samples of the marine mammal. The enormous corpse was lifted off the beach by a lorry due to its size, before being taken away for incineration. It was the fourth whale to wash ashore in the Canary Islands this month alone. A whale was swept ashore in the tourist town of Playa de las Américas last Friday. Abandoned theme park left 'frozen in time' where stranded Orca whales and bottlenose dolphins have been left to rot Two others appeared dead on the coast of Gran Canaria earlier this month. Over 30 marine mammal species live in Canarian waters, including dolphins, pilot whales, and sperm whales. The Canary Islands record an average of 50 to 60 marine creature strandings each year, caused by disease, pollution, collisions, or acoustic disorientation. Scientists have possibly identified the first species other than humans to use unique sounds as building blocks for complex communication. Considered to be highly social animals, whales are known to communicate with each other by producing different combinations of clicks. Researchers recently compared the phenomena — observed in sperm whales in the Caribbean — to how people use a set number of sounds (represented by letters) to compose words into an endless combination of sentences. "Sperm whale vocalizations are more expressive and structured than previously believed," lead researcher Pratyusha Sharma of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote in the paper. "Our findings open up the possibility that sperm whale communication might provide our first example of that phenomenon in another species," they said. The discovery emerged thanks to an analysis of sperm whale vocalizations from about 60 animals that were recorded between 2005 and 2018. Researchers examined the whales' sounds to look for similarities and patterns and ultimately found several repeated, 2-second-long 'codas' — the basic units of speech. They found thousands of instances of unique sets of codas, or what could be considered words in human communication. Scientists noted that the sets of sounds used by the sperm whales in the study varied by context. 5 5
