ShmoopTube

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[Dino and Coop singing]

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Whales communicate with one another, just like humans do. [Whales speaking to each other]

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Okay, maybe with a little less texting... [Whales using mobile phones]

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How do they do it?

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By using something called “echolocation.”

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Echolocation is when whales make sounds that are reflected back to them when it bounces [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

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off of another object.

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Like when you shout into a canyon. [Boy shouts into a canyon]

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Echolocation is very important because it helps whales hunt, navigate in the water, [Whales holding a gun, reading a map and holding a phone]

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and uh…just conduct interesting chit-chat.

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There are two types of whales—toothed whales and baleen whales—and they communicate differently.

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Toothed whales, such as the killer whale, use echolocation for hunting and navigating…

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…but baleen whales, such as humpback whales, use deep sounds that sound like songs to communicate [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

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with each other.

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If you ever see a whale performing at a karaoke bar, dollars to donuts it’s a baleen whale. [Whale singing into a microphone]

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So…what exactly are whale songs and why are they important?

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Well, first of all, no one’s doing Celine Dion covers down there. [Whale next to the sunken Titanic]

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We’re actually talking about sounds like groans, moans, roars, and even high pitched

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squeaks.

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Each whale song can last 10 minutes or longer. [Whale singing on stage]

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Queen would be jealous. [Freddie Mercury appears]

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Whales use these songs to communicate—to find other whales, warn each other of predators,

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and find their way in the ocean.

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And…to keep themselves occupied in the shower. [Whale singing in the shower]

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Humans have to use special technology in order to hear many of these whale songs. [Man wearing headphones and holding a microphone]

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Our ears actually cannot hear most of them, because they are very, very low in pitch. [Old man trying to speak to a whale]

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Plus, they’re even harder to hear when a singing whale has its driver’s side window [Whale in a car]

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rolled up…

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