Kaikōura's summer sperm whales may be an aging population

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-08-10 03:00

New Zealand

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By listening to the sound of a sperm whale's echolocation clicks, scientists can measure the length of the ocean giants - and subsequently tell how old they are. They've discovered that the population of whales visiting Kaikōura each summer may be getting older, and failing to recruit younger whales to the pod. They say it's possible the largest whales are absent in winter due to breeding, and regardless of the reason their decline will have an impact on the Kaikōura canyon ecosystem.