HUMPBACK WHALE SONGS

The Humpback Whale Migration is now in full swing along Australian Coastlines. We live in an age were we are lucky enough to see their numbers increasing by more than 10% per year.
Every season more and more people are able to experience the amazing sight of these wild and majestic creatures swimming in our protected waters.
More and more research is being done on Humpback Whale behaviour as well as the changes the climate is having on their patterns.
As we learn more about these fascinating mammals, we thought we would share some of the information we have learnt about Humpback Whales and the way they appear to communicate.

  • Humpback Whales produce the longest and most varied songs in the animal world.
  • Australian Humpback Whales communicate further (over greater distances) than any other whale on earth.
  • The “songs” are produced by moving air back and forth through body passages.
  • Only Male Humpbacks sing.
  • Each sequence normally lasts 10-15 minutes and can be repeated without a break, for hours.
  • The sequence is unique to that population – all the Humpbacks in the one area sing a “local” song.
  • Each year the songs evolve and are a little different but incorporated into the current sequence.
  • Many of the songs are at a very low frequency, out of our hearing range.
  • Some evidence suggests that the large whales create “infra sound”.
  • It is thought that singing maybe part of the breeding process.
  • Humpback Whales communicate through song but also social sounds which are vocal and through surface behaviour.
  • Surface behaviour includes breaching, fin slapping, lob-tailing and flipper slapping.
  • More than 34 different vocal sounds have been recorded.  From noises similar to a bird chirp to a snort, which is all amazing as they have no vocal cords.

Join us on one of our intimate Whale Watching experiences by booking online or phoning Paddy on 0412 155 814

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Jerry van Driel-Vis