When Ships Are Nearby, Sperm Whales Change Their Calls

Sperm Whales May Be Talking About Us

Sperm whales alter their communication with each other when ships are nearby, a new study suggests. A four-year study of 15 sperm whales off the Caribbean island of Dominica found that their trademark click patterns—known as codas—shift noticeably when boat noise enters the mix, revealing a faster tempo...

When ships are nearby, sperm whales change their calls

In the presence of noise from ships, sperm whales change how they communicate, scientists find.

Sperm whales change how they communicate when ships are nearby

Like a group of scheming teens shifting their conversation when a teacher walks by, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) change the way they communicate when ships are near. The time between their clicks becomes shorter, and they even change how they use certain vowel sounds. The findings add another piece to the puzzle of translating the language of sperm whales, and are published today in the journal Ecological Informatics. Speaking whale F…