What's the science behind whale communication? - David Gruber and Shane Gero episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 18, 2026 · 8 MIN

What's the science behind whale communication? - David Gruber and Shane Gero

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Explore how sperm whales use an array of complex vocalizations to communicate with each other, hunt, and assess their surroundings. --Soon after whaling ships began operating in the North Pacific, an interesting trend emerged. Within just a few years, whalers saw a 58% drop in their successful strikes. Sperm whales had suddenly become harder to kill— they had begun fleeing the boats instead of forming their usual defensive circles. Were whales communicating new strategies to each other? David Gruber and Shane Gero investigate.Lesson by David Gruber and Shane Gero, directed by Anna Benner.The recordings of whale codas included in this video were courtesy of Project CETI. Learn more about the initiative here: https://www.audaciousproject.org/grantees/project-cetiSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-advanced-is-whale-talk-david-gruber-and-shane-geroDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-advanced-is-whale-talk-david-gruber-and-shane-gero/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://annabennerstudio.comMuic: https://www.tschernuth.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer and Javid Gozalov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

What's the science behind whale communication? - David Gruber and Shane Gero

0:00 8:20

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of TED-Ed?

This episode is 8 minutes long.

When was this TED-Ed episode published?

This episode was published on August 18, 2026.

Can I download this TED-Ed episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!