Study finds whales sing for up to 16 hours non-stop while diving
A new study published in Current Biology reveals that humpback whales synchronize their complex song patterns with specific stages of their dive cycles. Researchers used non-invasive suction-cup tags to track whale movement and acoustics simultaneously.
Why it matters
Understanding the link between whale behavior and song provides critical insights into marine biology and the energy management of endangered species.
The findings could help infer whale behavior from acoustic recordings alone.
A whale's dive shapes its song patterns, suggests new research.
The study using data from suction caps attached to the aquatic mammals is the first to connect an entire humpback whale song structure to a complete dive cycle.
The findings could help infer whale behavior from acoustic recordings alone, say scientists.
The haunting, complex songs of male humpback whales can last for hours and travel for miles underwater, playing a central role in reproduction during the winter breeding season.
But despite decades of research into what the songs sound like, scientists have had far less insight into what the whales are physically doing while they sing.
Understanding that connection could reveal how singing affects a whale's energy use, oxygen management and vulnerability to underwater noise and vessel strikes.
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