Project CETI

CETI Scientists developed a framework to enable autonomous robots to collect multiple-angle photographs of sperm whales, in service of creating 3D models of their underwater behaviors: bit.ly/470Mxji By: Karen K. Li, Mattia Mantovani, Robert J. Wood, Lorenzo Sabattini, Stephanie Gil.

bit.lyHow Realistic Is the Buzzy New Movie About Getting Swallowed by a Whale? A Whale Biologist Weighs In.Everything you want to know about Whalefall and its real-life possibilities.

Dive into some sperm whale biology and behavior facts CETI Field Biology Lead Shane Gero shared with @slate.com, explaining the science behind the new movie WHALEFALL. bit.ly/4savQM5

CETI Field Biology Lead Shane Gero discusses “Whalefall” and sperm whales with @thenerdsofcolor.bsky.social watch here: bit.ly/4eIadNE Photo: Michael Lees/National Geographic Society

Listen to CETI Field Biology Lead Shane Gero discuss with CBC Radio’s Day 6 program his hopes that the new film “Whalefall” will inspire more people to learn about how magnificent sperm whales are: bit.ly/4iWQJYH Photo: Arun Madisetti

bit.lyCould a whale swallow a human, 'Whalefall' style?In the new movie “Whalefall,” a scuba diver has a very bad day in the guts of a sperm whale. Could it actually happen?

Could a whale swallow a human, 'Whalefall' style? Project CETI's Field Biology Lead Shane Gero dives in with Director Brian Duffield on @scifri.bsky.social to break it down, stomach by stomach: bit.ly/4saMpaW

bit.lyCould a whale swallow a person whole?In the movie Whalefall, a sperm whale accidentally swallows a scuba diver. It’s technically possible, but unlikely to play out in real life.

Could a whale swallow a person whole? Technically, yes, if it was a sperm whale… CETI Field Biology Lead Shane Gero and comparative anatomist Joy Reidenberg spoke with @sciencenews.bsky.social about the new movie “Whalefall.” bit.ly/4j9MxVv

bit.lyCould a whale really swallow a human? We asked a biologist.The new thriller ‘Whalefall’ depicts a diver trapped inside of a sperm whale.

15 Sept

Could a whale really swallow a human? CETI’s Field Biology Lead Shane Gero dives in with @popsci.com to discuss the forthcoming movie “Whalefall.” bit.ly/4xnYZoa

bit.lyCould humans ever communicate with whales?Podcast Episode · Science Weekly · September 1 · 17m

9 Sept

Did you catch our feature on @theguardian.com’s Science Weekly Podcast last week? Listen to the episode here: bit.ly/4iSrsif

bit.lyHow Close Are We To Talking To Animals? | IFLScience The Big QuestionsIf we learned the language of another species, could we one day talk to aliens?

4 Sept

How close are we to talking to animals? Listen to CETI CEO & Founder David Gruber on @iflscience.com’s The Big Questions Podcast. bit.ly/3UAV7T3

25 Aug

Get to know Canopener, a young adult female from Unit U! One of the many sperm whales we have the privilege of working with in Dominica. You can learn more and meet more whales at projectceti.org/listen. Photo: Amanda Cotton

20 Aug

A new study by CETI Scientists analyzed thousands of hunting attempts and found that sperm whales flexibly switch prey-capture tactics within a single dive — adapting their approach in real time based on how their hunt unfolds. Read the pre-print here: bit.ly/45cW2Lz

20 Aug

By: Lorenzo Zaffina, @c0rrad0.bsky.social, @poetz.bsky.social, @maximelca.bsky.social, Henriques João Machado Borges, Raj Deshpande, Pernille Tønnesen, David Gruber, Shane Gero, @andreasantoro.bsky.social, @lordgrilo.bsky.social. @nplab.bsky.social, @uclouvain.bsky.social, @carleton.ca, @isi.it.

11 Aug

Want a deeper dive into CETI’s research? You can discover moment-by-moment analysis of CETI’s recent groundbreaking insights into the birth of a sperm whale and more at projectceti.org/research

bit.lySperm Whales Seem to Change Their Calls When Ships Are Near, Highlighting the Implications of Underwater Noise PollutionSeveral of the huge cetaceans living in the eastern Caribbean Sea shortened the intervals between their clicks and used one click pattern more than another when vessels were around, according to a new...

11 Aug

Sperm whales seem to change their calls when ships are near, highlighting the implications of underwater noise pollution. Read in @smithsonianmag.bsky.social: bit.ly/4i1muiJ

nationalgeographic.comWhen ships are nearby, sperm whales change their callsIn the presence of noise from ships, sperm whales change how they communicate, scientists find.

22 July

When ships are nearby, sperm whales change their calls. Read in National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/...

22 July

New finding: CETI scientists reveal underwater shipping noise is affecting the structure of sperm whale communication. Read the paper here: bit.ly/4fskWv8 By: Roee Diamant, David Gruber, Shane Gero, @begus.bsky.social Illustration: Alex Boersma @carleton.ca, @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social

6 July

Read the newly published op-ed “Listen to whales to improve connection, care & ocean health” by Sylvia Earle and CETI CEO and Founder David Gruber on @mongabay.com here: bit.ly/4vRRy8O Photo: Noah Throop/ Untamed Planet Films

23 June

Mission Blue’s Hope Spots are over 169 critical places in the ocean—vital to biodiversity, resilience, and life on Earth which are championed by local leaders and grounded in science.🌊 This World Ocean Month, discover the Hope Spots: listen.projectceti.org#learnWithUs

10 June

Did you know every sperm whale’s fluke/tail is unique?🐳 This World Ocean Month, you can discover 20 of the most often encountered sperm whale families off the coast of Dominica in the latest CETI x The Dominica Sperm Whale Project Fluke Book at listen.projectceti.org#learnWithUs

8 June

This World Ocean Day, we invite you to contribute to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲—capturing a different kind of history: not what humanity knew about whales, but what it longed to understand. Join us and record your audio message at listen.projectceti.org#deepArchive 🐳🎙️💙

2 June

CETI Scientists have developed a two-hydrophone system that can pinpoint sperm whales’ location from their click sequences while they dive deep. Learn about the system here: bit.ly/42Om2eQ By: Guy Gubnitsky and Roee Diamant

12 May

The Listen to the Whales campaign, created with the National Geographic Society’s Impact Story Lab, won the People’s Voice Webby Award for Video & Film, in the category Science & Education! We are honored and look forward to continuing to Listen to the Whales together💙🐳 projectceti.org/listen

5 May

Did you know that the first known whale, Pakicetus, walked on land? Learn more and trace the echoes through time, charting humanity’s understanding of whales, starting 50 million years ago with Pakicetus at projectceti.org/listen Photo: @amnh.org/Carl Buell

bit.lyProject CETI deploys autonomous underwater gliders to better observe sperm whales - The Robot ReportProject CETI has deployed a new underwater glider that can monitor whales for longer than the organization's previous methods.

30 Apr

“[The glider] is another way of having a delicate, not passive object recording, and listening, and peering into their world.” - CETI CEO and Founder David Gruber Learn more in The Robot Report: bit.ly/49cebv9

bit.lyThe ‘Waymo of the sea’ tracks sperm whale conversationsThe first AI-enabled underwater glider could track the whales for months at a time without bothering them

29 Apr

“We significantly extend ‘backseat driver’ capabilities...this allows fully autonomous control by the glider for tracking whales—a first for underwater gliders, like the Waymo of the underwater world.” -CETI Underwater Acoustics Lead Roee Diamant Read in @popsci.com: bit.ly/4u9KZgo

Project CETI reposted

Interspecies Internet

@interspecies-io.bsky.social

27 Apr

⭐️ @projectceti.bsky.social: New Paper! “The phonology of sperm whale coda vowels” shows whales produce vowel-like sounds organized in patterns, akin to human phonology. Learn more here: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.2994

28 Apr

Major technological breakthrough: CETI’s autonomous underwater glider system is able to quietly follow sperm whales by listening to their voices, opening a new dimension for monitoring whales in their natural environment. Read in @natureportfolio.nature.com’s Scientific Reports here: bit.ly/3P4rwPs

28 Apr

By: Roee Diamant, Yeshayahu Pewzner, Guy Gubnitsky, David Gruber, Dan Tchernov, Laurent Beguery and Jeremy Sitbon. Animation: Adrien Gentils

23 Apr

Happy #WorldBookDay! We are inspired by and honored to be featured in Robert Macfarlane’s book, “Is a River Alive?” The book invites readers to reimagine our relationship with the more-than-human world. See more books that guide CETI’s work: bit.ly/4cC4hEa Photo: Arun Madisetti

bit.lyWe’re one step closer to understanding the sperm whale ‘alphabet’Scientists are learning that sperm whales communicate in ways that may mirror human language.

16 Apr

We’re one step closer to understanding the sperm whale ‘alphabet’. Read in National Geographic by Richard Kemeny: bit.ly/48D0uoR Research by CETI Scientists: @begus.bsky.social, Maksymilian Dąbkowski, Ronald Sprouse, David Gruber, Shane Gero

bit.lySperm whales’ communication closely parallels human language, study findsAnalysis shows whales’ coda vocalizations are ‘highly complex’ and remarkably similar to our own

15 Apr

Thank you @theguardian.com and @olliemilman.bsky.social for this piece featuring our latest paper, “The phonology of sperm whale coda vowels.” By: @begus.bsky.social, Maksymilian Dąbkowski, Ronald Sprouse, David Gruber, Shane Gero bit.ly/4dKeGjn

15 Apr

CETI scientists led by CETI Linguistics Lead Gašper Beguš have revealed that not only do sperm whale vocalizations sound like human vowels, they also behave like them! Read: bit.ly/4dPrIfr By: @begus.bsky.social, Maksymilian Dąbkowski, Ronald Sprouse, David Gruber, Shane Gero

15 Apr

@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @carleton.ca, @baruch.cuny.edu Animation: Meghan Fenske

9 Apr

Exciting News! The Listen to the Whales campaign, created with the National Geographic Society’s Impact Story Lab, is nominated at The Webby Awards for best video & film, in the Science & Education category. Vote now through April 16th: bit.ly/48zzV3P

8 Apr

Get to know Snow, a young female member of Unit A and more of the sperm whales we have the privilege of researching in Dominica at projectceti.org/listen, and subscribe to the Listen to the Whales newsletter for special updates on the whales! Photo: Amanda Cotton

3 Apr

We made it to the finals! ⭐️ Vote for Project CETI and the National Geographic Society’s Listen to the Whales at the @shortyawards.bsky.social! Voting ends April 8th so cast your vote now🐳: shortyawards.com/18th/listen-...

2 Apr

Did you catch the baby sperm whale on the @colbertlateshow.bsky.social? Watch this segment and more: www.youtube.com/@ColbertLate...

nationalgeographic.comScientists recorded a sperm whale birth up close for the first time. They discovered something extraordinary.The marine mammals act like midwives, supporting mothers and their calves through delivery.

1 Apr

Read more about Unit A in National Geographic! 🟨🐳 www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

bit.lyScientists captured female sperm whales on video working together during a birth to protect the calfScientists have captured rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth, offering a window into the large mammals' behavior.

29 Mar

Thank you @apnews.com and @adithi-r1.bsky.social!

The Associated Press@apnews.com

Scientists have captured rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth, offering a window into the large mammals' behavior.

dominicanewsonline.comDominica plays a pivotal role in scientific study documenting rare sperm whale birth - Dominica News OnlineThe Dominica and New York-based organization Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) has released two groundbreaking scientific papers that together offer the most comprehensive documentation o...

29 Mar

Thank you Dominica News Online!🇩🇲🐳💙 dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepag...

newyorkermag.visitlink.meThe Astonishing Lessons of a Sperm-Whale BirthIn 2023, researchers witnessed a rare event—a sperm whale being born. Their findings suggest a previously unknown level of coöperation among whales.

28 Mar

Thank you @elizkolbert.bsky.social and @newyorker.com!

The New Yorker@newyorker.com

In 2023, researchers witnessed a rare event—a sperm whale being born. Their findings suggest a previously unknown level of coöperation among whales. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/LdFF2o

nytimes.comScientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers.

28 Mar

Thank you @nytimes.com and @catrineinhorn.bsky.social for featuring our research!🐳 www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c...

Explore moment-by-moment of the most in-depth documentation of any cetacean birth in the new CETI paper, “Description of a collaborative sperm whale birth and shifts in coda vocal styles during key events,” published in @natureportfolio.nature.com’s Scientific Reports: bit.ly/4bIVZKc

Please find the complete list of CETI authors in the paper. Photo: A sperm whale family swims together as part of a culturally distinct clan. Dominica, Caribbean Sea. Photo by Brian J. Skerry/National Geographic.

Female sperm whales support one another during the birthing journey—behavior that was long considered unique to humans and a few primates. Read now in @science.org: bit.ly/4bIKkeo

By: Alaa Maalouf, Joseph DelPreto, @maximelca.bsky.social, @poetz.bsky.social, Jacob Andreas, Antonio Torralba, Shane Gero, @lordgrilo.bsky.social, Daniela Rus, David F. Gruber. @csail.mit.edu, @northeasternu.bsky.social, @carleton.ca, @baruch.cuny.edu

@interspecies-io.bsky.social

19 Mar

Our second year empowering the next generation to lead on climate, health and social justice in Dominica, in partnership with The Ashley Lashley Foundation’s Eco-Fit Youth Programme! Learn more: bit.ly/4abwp13 Photos: Marica Honychurch, One Off Productions Dominica

Project CETI reposted

Interspecies Internet

9 Mar

📣 New Lecture: WhAM — the Whale Acoustics Model with Orr Paradise Explore @projectceti.bsky.social transformer-based model that synthesizes & analyzes sperm whale codas! 🗓 Mar 28 | 4pm GMT/ 12 pm EST/ 9am PST | Online 🔗 Registration: https://www.interspecies.io/lectures/orr-paradise

6 Mar

Press play on a different world by tuning into audio selections with whale-listening instructions at projectceti.org/listen! Photo: Amanda Cotton