Ana Eguiguren
Dalhousie University
Isabel Avila
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Sarah Mesnick
National Marine Fisheries Service
Mauricio Cantor
Wildlife and Conservation Sciences

Taylor Hersh
Oregon State University
Héctor Pérez-Puig
Prescott College Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies
Patricia Rosero
Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo
Luke Rendell
University of St Andrews

Hal Whitehead
Dalhousie University
Constanza Rojas
Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas
Juan Jose Alava
University of British Columbia

C​ulture—socially transmitted behaviours shared within a community—can influence animal populations’ structure, vulnerability and resilience. Clans of sperm whales in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) exemplify the profound influence of culture on these dynamics and highlight the challenges of accounting for culture in conservation efforts. Globally, sperm whales are classified as vulnerable, and the ETP sperm whale population has struggled to reach a positive growth rate. This stagnation is partly due to cumulative anthropogenic threats in the region, including fishing conflicts, vessel traffic, pollution, deep sea mining, oil and gas exploration, and anthropogenic climate change.

The United Nations Convention on Migratory Species adopted a Concerted Action for ETP sperm whales in 2017, proposing collaborative efforts to address cultural dimensions in conservation. However, knowledge gaps and real-world implementation challenges persist. Here, we review the role of social transmission in shaping sperm whale behaviour and populations, outline current anthropogenic threats and environmental stressors they face in the ETP, and discuss the ongoing challenges of incorporating cultural dimensions into large-scale international conservation efforts. Strengthening transnational collaboration and capitalizing on new technologies for efficient analysis can help bridge these knowledge gaps and enhance future research on this iconic species.