Wild cetacean birth observations are extremely rare, with observations having been recorded in less than 10% of cetacean species. Here, we d
An automated coda annotator41 extracted 5,731 codas (31,364 clicks) from 3 h to 32 min of audio recordings, spanning 4 h and 21 min, covering the full length of the whale birth.
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The most produced coda type during the birth event (1 + 1 + 3/Type 3) has been suggested to relate to the social identity of the Eastern Caribbean Clan to which these animals belong. Furthermore, it has previously been suggested that overlapping codas could act as vocal grooming for social bonding amongst unit members and the occurrence of these codas in the context of this highly socially affiliative event seems to support this hypothesis. Interestingly, the second most produced coda was the 4R (mostly 4R/Type 3), which has been proposed as a unit-level identifier for Unit A53; which further supports the social bonding during this family-focused event. Another relevant observation was the presence of distinct alteration of the group’s vocal style in temporal proximity (Fig. 7) to salient events (e.g. at beginning and during the birth, and shortly before interactions with the short-finned pilot whales), signaling a departure from the group’s basal style associated to instances requiring organization at the group level, whether to provide support during the birth itself, or protection after it.
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This first-of-its-kind dataset of extensive aerial footage of a sperm whale birth, combined with synchronized underwater audio recordings, offers unique insights into a key biological feature of sperm whales. Our results show commonalities with births of other cetacean species including (1) lifting behavior of the newborn; (2) extensive vocalizations at birth showing clear differentiations at various stages of the birth; (3) other cetacean species being present.
