Name: Why do whales sing?
Uploaded: 2017-09-07T20:44:35Z
Duration: 4 min 58 s
Description: Communicating underwater is challenging. Light and odors don't travel well, but sound moves about four times faster in water than in air — which means marine mammals often use sounds to communicate. The most famous of these underwater vocalizations is undoubtedly the whale song. Stephanie Sardelis decodes the evocative melodies composed by the world's largest mammals.

Stephanie Sardelis: Why do whales sing?

Why do whales sing?

Communicating underwater is challenging. Light and odors don't travel well, but sound moves about four times faster in water than in air — which means marine mammals often use sounds to communicate. The most famous of these underwater vocalizations is undoubtedly the whale song. Stephanie Sardelis decodes the evocative melodies composed by the world's largest mammals.

In the darkness of the ocean, whales use powerful and complex songs to communicate across vast distances. These melodies, structured with repeating units and themes, can travel for thousands of kilometers and even last for hours. Each whale population has its own unique song, which changes over time as whales borrow new elements from one another. Rising ocean noise threatens this ancient symphony, making it harder for whales to connect and thrive.