Humpback Soloists

Photo Courtesy K. Velasquez

The Pavarottis of the deep.  Oh, those wonderful males!  Tonight while working I find myself listening to the humpbacks live singing in Hawaiian waters.  You can too!  Just go to:  http://www.whalesong.net/ and you’ll see what I mean.  According to researchers, who have been studying the singing behaviors for many years, only the males sing.  In the North Pacific all the males sing the same song, which alters throughout the season.  The males in Baja and the islands south of Japan are singing the same song as the Hawaiian males.  If it changes in Hawaiian waters for any reason, the song changes in the other two areas as well, and in just a matter of hours.  How do they do this?  Can they hear over those great distances.  There are so many questions and many wonderful theories, along with answers, as well.  Researchers believe these animals can hear for a great distance.  Singers place themselves near the ocean floor to sing their songs.  Even they know sound travels better following ocean floor trenches and we know sound in the water travels 5 times faster than above the surface. 

According to Dr. Fred Sharpe, who studies these animals in their feeding grounds where they also make a feeding call, or siren, the animals produce sounds using their larynx sacs mechanisms.  Fascinating!  No vocal cords, but not needed! Researchers believe it is possible the singing does not have anything to do with competition, but may have more to do with keeping this population connected over great distances.  Way back in early November a handful of males were heard singing.  Now there are many voices who have joined in.

Going out on the water and watching these animals do their breathtaking maneuvers while competing, lovingly taking care of their young, or just cruising around will leave a very deep impression on your heart.  We feel any time on the water is always full of wonder and another step toward better enlightenment. 

You must be logged in to post a comment.