Whale vocalization

Whale sounds are used by whales for different kinds of communication.

The mechanisms used to produce sound vary from one family of cetaceans to another. Marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are much more dependent on sound for communication and sensation than are land mammals, because other senses are of limited effectiveness in water. Sight is less effective for marine mammals because of the way particulates in the ocean scatter light. Smell is also limited, as molecules diffuse more slowly in water than in air, which makes smelling less effective. However, the speed of sound is roughly four times greater in water than in the atmosphere at sea level. Because sea mammals are so dependent on hearing to communicate and feed, environmentalists and cetologists are concerned that they are being harmed by the increased ambient noise in the world's oceans caused by ships, sonar and marine seismic surveys.

The word "song" is used to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales, notably the humpback whale. This is included with or in comparison with music, and male humpback whales have been described as "inveterate composers" of songs that are "'strikingly similar' to human musical traditions". It has been suggested that humpback songs communicate male fitness to female whales. The click sounds made by sperm whales and dolphins are not strictly song, but the clicking sequences have been suggested to be individualized rhythmic sequences that communicate the identity of a single whale to other whales in its group and allows the groups to coordinate foraging activities.

Whale Song (novel)

Whale Song is a novel by Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif. Whale Song was first self-published by Trafford Publishing in 2003. In the spring of 2006, the novel was picked up by Kunati Inc. Book Publishers, a Canadian publisher with offices in Ontario, Canada, and Florida, US and this second edition was released on April 1, 2007. In 2010, Whale Song was published as a third edition by Imajin Books, in trade paperback and ebook editions.

Plot summary

Thirteen years prior to the start of the book, Sarah Richardson’s life was shattered after the assisted suicide of her mother who was battling a debillitating disease. The shocking tragedy left a grief-stricken teen-aged Sarah with partial amnesia. A familiar voice from her past sends Sarah, now a talented mid-twenties advertising executive, back to her buried past.

Torn by nightmares and visions of a yellow-eyed wolf, yet aided by the creatures of the Earth and by the killer whales that call to her in the night, Sarah's life parallels the native legends that were told to her by a wise old native grandmother. In the end, she must face her fears and uncover the truth―even if it destroys her.

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PLAYLIST TIME:

Whale Song

by: Pearl Jam

The sun was in clouds. The sun looked out. Exposed a trail of mist and spouts.
Ships followed the ancient lead. Deceiving friends under the sea.
Wow, imagine that? They won't fight back. I got a theory on that.
A whale's heart is as big as a car. A whaler's thought must be smudged by the dark.
They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or are too proud.
They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or too proud.
They swim. It's really free. It's a beautiful thing to see. They sing.
Hunters of land. Hunters of sea. Exploit anything for money.
I refer to anybody that takes advantage of what that is free.
They won't fight back.
It's only a thought that makes it seem right. What you don't see is because of your sight.
Take what you want. Kill what you can. That's just one way of the mind of man.
Take their lives. Sell their parts but there is not taking of their hearts.
If I was lost at sea. That harpoon boat in front of me. It's the whale I'd like to be.
They won't fight back.
They don't know how.




Latest News for: whale song

Should we worry when whales stop singing? Here’s what researchers have to say

The Times of India 22 Mar 2025
Whale songs are valuable information to know how climate change is affecting the seas and their ecosystems.Role of whale songs in monitoring ecosystem changesResearchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium ...

Picaresque Turns 20

Stereogum 21 Mar 2025
Personally, when they performed the song on the Picaresque tour — complete with props and a massive whale cutout mimicking the song’s nautical battle — I remember mentally dissociating for the ...

Brains of parrots, unlike songbirds, use human-like vocal control

Ars Technica 19 Mar 2025
They're distant relatives compared to other animals with interesting vocal capabilities, like whales and elephants, and their brains have some notable differences from ours.

Why we should worry when whales stop singing

East Bay Times 18 Mar 2025
A new first-of-its kind study found the marine mammals vocalized less after a marine heat wave decimated their prey, making whale songs a barometer of the effects of climate change on ocean ecosystems.

Whales sing more when they have full stomachs, study finds. ‘Window into their lives’

The Tribune San Luis Obispo 15 Mar 2025
The finding indicates whale songs could serve as a barometer for their overall health, the study said. ‘It is a window into their lives.’ ... .

Whale songs rise and fall with food supply, study finds.

Mongabay 12 Mar 2025
They used recordings from underwater microphones called hydrophones that can detect any whale song within a 1,000-square-kilometer (386-square-mile) radius of the instrument.

The Sea Shanty Singer is Singing His Own Songs Now

New York Times 12 Mar 2025
Nathan Evans was working as a mail carrier when he uploaded his cover of an old whaling tune. Now he has a folk-inspired album of his own songs, which he promises people can still “sing in the car.” ... .

Shedd Aquarium names baby beluga Opus, a musical term

Journal Gazette 09 Mar 2025
It’s a musical term — meaning a set of compositions — that honors his father Beethoven and nods to the high-pitched songs that have led to these whales being dubbed the “canaries of the sea.”.

Top 10 destinations for epic whale watching around the world

Telegraph Herald 09 Mar 2025
Turns out that whale scene in Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ 2020 movie, “Eurovision Song Contest. The Story of Fire Saga,” might not have been so overblown, after all ... .

9 surprising ways animals communicate without speaking

The Times of India 07 Mar 2025
The ocean’s silent storytellers Whales are famous for their haunting songs, but their body language is equally expressive ... Every splash, wave, and gesture tells a story, making whales the silent storytellers of the sea.118769568Also Read.

Daywatch: The impact of potential Medicaid cuts on Illinois

Chicago Tribune 07 Mar 2025
It’s a musical term — meaning a set of compositions — that honors his father Beethoven and nods to the high-pitched songs that have led to these whales being dubbed the “canaries of the sea.” E.

Listen To The Loudest Humpback Whale Yapping We've Ever Heard Off Hawaii

IFL Science 06 Mar 2025
Whale song was also recently found to follow one of the fundamental rules of human language, Zipf’s law, meaning that while the whales might be yapping away down under the waves, they aren’t wasting ...
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