- Sperm whales have been recorded for the first time headbutting one another, validating accounts from 19th-century mariners.
- Drone footage captured by researchers at the University of St Andrews shows the mammals deliberately ramming each other with their heads.
- This 'sink-sinking' behaviour was previously reported by whalers who observed whales striking other whales, objects, and ships.
- The most famous historical example is the reported sinking of the Essex in 1820 by a large bull sperm whale, which inspired Herman Melville's Moby Dick.
- The reason for this behaviour is currently unclear, but the research team hopes further study will provide answers.
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