It is well known that the blue whales, deep below the surface of the ocean, sing. But why? It is for the first time, scientists think they have an answer to this — As they feed, the whales send out calls to let each other know where they are! Each group use a distinct and different sound.
This sound is recorded by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography using tags suctioned to the bodies of the whales. These noises also play a similarly important role during the whales’ mating season. It is then the males sing long, low-pitched songs for indicating their reproductive fitness to females.
The females select mates on the basis of their size, estimating that they can also evaluate the songs of the males as larger males are capable of taking in more air, holding notes for a longer period.
The research is published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series journal’s January 25 issue.