“Our” whales sing differently

tail of humback whale

Tail of humback whale (photo by Ronda Green, Araucaria Ecotours, while on tour with Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching)

Humpback whales sharing the same ocean in the northern hemisphere generally sing similar songs.

The whales that travel the coast of Western Australia sing songs that differ considerably from those visiting Madagascar on the other side of the Indian Ocean.

This surprised researchers, who are now investigating the reasons for the difference, including determining whether the whales from the South Pacific, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans communicate with one another during their summer months in Antarctica

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/wcs-sfs020112.php