Once in a lifetime capture of a North Pacific Humpback song.
Humpback whale
Introduction
The Humpback Whale is a large baleen whale that migrates annually along the east and west coasts of Australia.
Identification
The Humpback Whale has distinctive knobbly protuberances on the head and long flippers, making this one of the most easily recognized of the large baleen whales. Its name is derived from the hump under the dorsal fin, which is particularly noticeable when the whale arches its back to dive. This is one of the most studied of the great whales, as individuals can be recognized by characteristic black and white patterns, especially on the underside of the tail.
Whale sound - "Song"
Both male and female humpback whales vocalize, but only males produce the long, loud, complex "song" for which the species is famous. Each song consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency, and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes. Individuals may sing continuously for more than 24 hours. Cetaceans have no vocal cords, instead, they produce sound via a larynx-like structure found in the throat, the mechanism of which has not been clearly identified. Whales do not have to exhale to produce sound.
Whales within a population using a single song. All North Atlantic humpbacks sing the same song, while those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes slowly over a period of years without repeating. The songs are culturally transmitted, and have been shown in some cases to spread "horizontally" between neighboring populations over the course of successive breeding seasons.
Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale songs. Only males sing, suggesting one purpose is to attract females or to induce estrus in the females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a singer are other males, often resulting in conflict. Singing may, therefore, be a challenge to other males. Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echolocation function. During the feeding season, humpbacks make unrelated vocalizations for herding fish into their bubble nets.
Humpback whales make other sounds to communicate, such as grunts, groans, snorts and barks.
Sources:
- australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/humpback-whale/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale