The word " song" is used to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales, notably the humpback whale. As sea mammals are so dependent on hearing to communicate and feed, environmentalists and cetologists are concerned that they are being harmed by the increased ambient noise in the world's oceans caused by ships, sonar and marine seismic surveys. However, the speed of sound is roughly four times greater in water than in the atmosphere at sea level.
Smell is also limited, as molecules diffuse more slowly in water than in air, which makes smelling less effective. Sight is less effective for marine mammals because of the particulate way in which the ocean scatters light. Marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are much more dependent on sound for communication and sensation than are land mammals, because other senses are of limited effectiveness in water. The mechanisms used to produce sound vary from one family of cetaceans to another.
Whale sounds are used by whales for different kinds of communication. Click the arrow to play the video, which includes audio. Humpback whales are well known for their songs.
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