Sperm whales are among the deepest-diving mammals and face welfare impacts from commercial shipping noise that interferes with their sonar-based communication and hunting.
Sperm whale welfare under ocean noise pollution involves chronic welfare harm from interference with the fundamental activities of their lives — hunting, communicating, and maintaining social bonds. These highly social, deeply intelligent animals with large brains and complex social structures use sound as their primary sense in the deep dark ocean. Noise that masks their echolocation reduces hunting efficiency, causing nutritional stress. Noise that masks social codas disrupts the communication that maintains social bonds in these strongly bonded family groups.