Listen to humpback whale songs. | Nature | PBS

Scientists have observed that blue whale songs have dropped by nearly 40%, a troubling shift in one of the ocean’s most iconic sounds. For the largest animals on Earth, vocalization isn’t random—it’s closely tied to feeding success and overall energy levels. When krill—their primary food source—is abundant, blue whales sing more frequently and for longer periods. But when food becomes scarce, they conserve energy, and their songs grow quieter. The recent decline in vocalizations suggests whales

Sperm whales communicate using patterns of clicks called codas. For a long time, scientists thought these patterns were limited but recent research shows that sperm whale communication is far more flexible and structured than previously believed. Instead of repeating the same signals, whales adjust their click patterns during conversations. They change the timing, speed, and structure of codas, and sometimes add extra clicks. Other whales notice these changes and often mirror them, showing the s

sound on! 🔉 that means ‘happy world whale day’ in whale 🐋💙 Whales noises are complex clicks used for important functions like echolocation, finding food, and communication about things like mating and emotional states! The sequences of clicks they use to communicate and identify one another are called codas, and it’s thought that each whale has their own unique vocalization pattern. Their clicks can be louder than 200 decibels—that’s like standing near a rocket at takeoff. Though sound travel

First analytical output of a humpback whale song processed through my birdsong analysis framework. It worked flawlessly without any adaptation of the pipeline, and the whale vocalization unfolds into coherent geometric structures, a truly exciting starting point for further explorative work. A big thank you to Franck Eckler @geographe_photo and @geographemarineresearch for sharing these amazing recordings and their interest in my research. We're very excited and looking forward to what comes nex