Researchers Document Sperm Whale Headbutting Behaviour Using Drone Technology

Exam-focused facts from the 27 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Researchers from the University of St Andrews documented sperm whales headbutting each other using drone technology, also known as Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The study, published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, revealed that sub-adult whales engage in headbutting behaviour rather than only large adult males.
The observations were recorded during fieldwork conducted in the Azores and Balearic Islands between 2020 and 2022.
The research was led by Dr Alec Burslem in collaboration with the University of the Azores and Asociación Tursiops.
The findings support historical reports of sperm whales ramming vessels, such as the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820 which inspired the novel Moby-Dick.