by Lara Berkenbaum and al.

Our study focuses on ‘vocal sparring’, an acoustic exchange between juvenile male sperm whales of the same age. In this context, the frequent overlap of click trains complicates the attribution of sound emissions to individuals, particularly as inter-pulse intervals cannot be exploited. To solve this challenge, we developed two complementary methods: source localisation and acoustic identification. Combined, these approaches allow us to assign each click to a specific individual, opening new perspectives for ethoacoustics and individual identification. This enhances our understanding of the social and acoustic dynamics among juvenile male sperm whales.