Ep 2. Jump Jive an’ Whale: Story time on Whale Songs
Composing a song can be a complex process of creating notes, phrases, and themes that repeat in a structured and melodic fashion. That’s why many consider whale songs to be some of the most complex forms of communication in the animal kingdom. Learn about Earth's largest, most mystical mammals and the special skills they possess.
Transcript
Uncle B
Now gather round little animals, and let me tell you about some of the best song writers in the world. *Sing a song of freedom, and shake your great big tail. You never heard a better song than one sung by a whale. You’ve gotta jump...
Amelia, Nelson and Louis
Jive an’ whale!
Uncle B
You’ve gotta jump...
Amelia, Nelson and Louis
Jive an’ whale!
Amelia, Nelson and Louis
They’re long...and they’re strong. Whale songs!
Uncle B
Composing a song can be a complex process of creating notes, phrases, and themes that repeat in a structured fashion. That’s why many consider whale songs to be some of the most complex forms of communication in the animal kingdom. Only baleen whales -- that is, those whales who use baleen plates instead of teeth to catch their prey -- are known to “sing.”They include the Humpback, Blue, Fin, Bowhead, and Minke whales. And only the males of each species sing. A whale song is built on base units, sometimes called “notes,” of single uninterrupted sounds that last up to two seconds each. A collection of four to six “notes” forms a sub-phrase......and two sub-phrases make a phrase. A whale will repeat the same phrase over and over for two to four minutes to form a theme. And a collection of themes is called a song. Whales will repeat the same song over......and over......and over......for hours......or even days at a time. Because whale voices are much louder than human voices......it’s believed that at one time * whale songs could be heard from one end of the ocean to the other.
Nelson
Whooooooooa!!!
Uncle B
But noise pollution has changed that. To help ensure that these beautiful songs can be heard for generations to come, we can limit human activity along migratory routes and critical feeding and breeding grounds. Male whales seem to do most of their singing during mating season, so maybe these are love songs.
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world
Only baleen whales -- that is, those whales who use baleen plates instead of teeth to catch their prey -- are known to “sing.”
Baleen whales include the Humpback, Blue, Fin, Bowhead, and Minke whales.
Only the males of each species sing.
A whale song is built on base units, sometimes called “notes,” of single uninterrupted sounds that last up to two seconds each.
It’s believed that at one time whale songs could be heard from one end of the ocean to the other.
Modern noise pollution like boats, deep sea wells, seismic activity, and sonar have prevented whale songs from traveling long distances. They also disrupt noise-making activity in migratory lanes.
