TED Talks Daily A whale’s-eye-view of the ocean | Eric Stackpole
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Apr 11, 2026 
Eric Stackpole, an engineer and ocean explorer behind low-cost underwater tools, tells the wild story of a homemade whale tag that captured rare footage of sperm whales communicating deep below the surface. He also talks about tinkering as a path into science, why failure helps discovery, and how curiosity and storytelling can open up exploration for more people.
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The DIY Whale Tag Captured An Unseen Deep Ocean Bond
- Eric Stackpole and Rui Paretto recovered a barely functional DIY suction-cup camera and found the first footage of two sperm whales exchanging codas and swimming together at depth.
- The tag rotated on one surviving suction cup, capturing hunting clicks, codas, and an intimate side-by-side dive that moved both men to tears.
Tinkering Worked When School Did Not
- Eric Stackpole says tinkering became his real education because classrooms and problem sets never matched how he learned.
- Science museums engaged him deeply, and repeated hands-on experimentation eventually turned that curiosity into an engineering career.
Follow Recurring Interests And Let Failure Teach
- Stay curious long enough to notice recurring themes in what energizes you instead of forcing yourself to stick with an identity that no longer brings joy.
- Eric Stackpole traces his interests back to childhood fascination with affecting distant things, then argues failure is a necessary part of finding your path.