Sperm whales live in culturally distinct clans, research finds

Study of sounds and feeding habits shows animals organise into female-based groups of up to 20,000

Sperm whales live in clans with distinctive cultures, much like those of humans, a study has found.

Using underwater microphones and drone surveys, Hal Whitehead, a sperm whale scientist at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Canada, examined the sounds the animals made and their feeding habits and found they organised themselves into groups of up to around 20,000.