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Hal Whitehead is a biologist specializing in the study of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Whitehead is professor at Dalhousie University. The primary field research vessel of his laboratory is the Balaena, a Valiant 40 ocean-going cruising boat, which normally does its work off the coast of Nova Scotia. Other marine mammals studied by Whitehead's laboratory include beluga whales, pilot whales, northern bottlenose whales, and bottlenose dolphins. Whitehead is a precursor in the field of cetacean research and specifically the acoustical abilities of sperm whales, which underlie a complex social organization.