Whale song

Whale song is the sounds made by whales to communicate. The word "song" is used in particular to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales (notably the humpback) in a way that is reminiscent of human singing.

Related Topics:
Sound - Whale - Communicate - Song - Humpback - Human

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The mechanisms used to produce sound vary from one family of cetaceans to another. However, all whales, dolphins, and porpoises are much more dependent on sound for communication and sensation than land mammals because the absorption of light by water makes sight difficult and because the relatively slow diffusion of molecules in water compared to air decreases the effectiveness of the sense of smell. In addition, the speed of sound in water is roughly four times that 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 and marine seismic surveys.

Related Topics:
Whales - Dolphin - Porpoise - Light - Sight - Smell - Sound - Sea level - Cetologists

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