Dream

Sperm whales in the 19th century appear to have taught each other how to avoid deadly attacks by whalers

Researchers came up with the findings by examining logbooks from American whalers working in the North Pacific during the middle of the 19th century.

Using the number of whale sightings reported, the researchers found that the rate at which whalers succeeded in harpooning the whales they spotted dropped by 58 per cent over the first two years they worked in the region. 

The whalers themselves wrote of defensive methods that they believed the whales were adopting, including communicating danger within the social group, fleeing especially upwind or attacking the whalers