The Ocean’s Idol
Out of popular demand from Erin, here’s some interesting tidbits of information about the “singing” voices of humpback and killer whales:
Male humpback whales sing the longest and most complex songs in the animal kingdom with each song lasting for half an hour or more and consists of several main components. The aim of the singing is probably to lure females and to frighten off rival males. At the beginning of breeding season, all male humpback whales start with the same song but progress through several unique changes as time goes on. The songs can be heard underwater hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away. Little or no singing takes place during the summer feeding months in northern waters and further change to the song does not appear to occur.
Killer whales produce both clicks and pulsed calls. It has been recognized that the subpopulations communicate in group specific dialects with each pod having a repertoire of 7-17 discrete calls, distinct to that pod. These dialects are used to identify groups of whales and help to coordinate the movement of the pod.