Sperm whales are the largest toothed predators on Earth with complex social structures and remarkable diving capabilities. Ocean noise pollution, ship strikes, and plastic ingestion are their primary welfare threats.
Sperm whale welfare is threatened by a combination of human-induced stressors acting on long-lived, socially complex animals. Acoustic trauma from military sonar and seismic surveys can cause disorientation, separation from family groups, and potentially fatal strandings. Plastic ingestion causes chronic gut obstruction and malnutrition. Ship strikes cause traumatic injury and death. The loss of individuals from these causes disrupts family bonds in a species where calves depend on cooperative care from multiple adult females in their social group. The welfare cost of these disruptions extends beyond individual animals to the social fabric of groups that may take years to stabilise after losing key members.