Scientists detect potentially deadly virus in whale breath using drones

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Researchers have found a potentially harmful virus in the exhaled breath of whales. They used drones to collect these samples, which provides a non-invasive method for tracking the health of ocean animals.

Researchers discovered this by flying drones through the spray whales release when they breathe at the surface.

Tests on the samples showed they contained a virus called cetacean morbillivirus, which can cause severe sickness and death in whales and dolphins.

Known virus detected in a new way

For the first time, scientists from King’s College London and their collaborators have directly detected whale morbillivirus in the breath of whales living in the wild.

Scientists were able to analyse whale breath by using drones to make well-timed fly-throughs of their exhales.

Whale and dolphin morbillivirus harms the respiratory, nervous, and immune systems of whales and dolphins, and has caused large die-offs in the past. Importantly, the whales studied in this research didn’t appear to be sick.

Drones helped the team collect samples from whales safely and without disturbing them. Traditionally, monitoring whale health involved close contact and potentially harmful procedures. Using drones allowed scientists to observe the whales behaving normally and collect important biological data from a safe distance.

This new technique could help scientists monitor the spread of viruses in whales and identify outbreaks more quickly.

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2025-12-20 18:19