Why do whales always sound so sad? Whale voices only sound sad when recorded by above water microphones. The distinctive sound we call “whale song†is actually very different underwater, and even more so when translated by whale ears, which have cochleae 50 times larger than those of humans.
Consciousness. The evidence suggests that whales and dolphins are not only conscious, and that bottlenose dolphins, at least, are self-awareness, but also that they have complex brain structure for complex function, that they often live in complex societies, that they are capable of experiencing a range of emotions.
This time the explosion resulted from the buildup of gas inside a decomposing sperm whale, which caused it to burst. The cause of the phenomenon was initially unknown, since it unexpectedly occurred in the spinal area of the whale, not in its abdomen as might be expected.
Killer Whales Sing for Their PeersHumpbacks aren't the only sea mammals that sing. Extremely social animals, killer whales' advanced ability to communicate is likely because they often travel long distances in pods of 30 to 150 orcas.
Orcas communicate through pulsed calls, and whistles and these form a unique dialect for a family. They express their identity through their cultural habits, and their prey choices are central to this, and so it shapes their language.
How do orcas sleep? Orcas sleep in a very different way to humans. They only close one eye when they sleep; the left eye will be closed when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa. This type of sleep is known as unihemispheric sleep as only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time.
Killer whales produce sounds for two overlapping functions: communicating and navigation (in the form of echolocation). Killer whales produce whistles, echolocation clicks, pulsed calls, low-frequency pops, and jaw claps. The vocal cords in the larynx vibrate as air flows across them, producing sounds.
These orcas have figured out that the rays have a peculiar weakness: when you flip them upside down, they enter a state of paralysis called tonic immobilization. In some cases, the first orca will daintily pluck the ray out of hiding by its tail, then a second orca swoops in with a fatal bite to the head.
Observations of bottlenose dolphins in aquariums and zoos, and of whales and dolphins in the wild, show two basic methods of sleeping: they either rest quietly in the water, vertically or horizontally, or sleep while swimming slowly next to another animal.
Orcas are the only natural predator of the great white. Scientists have found proof that they are gashing the sharks open and eating their fatty livers. Orcas have been observed preying on great white sharks all over the world.
And now we know that the great whales of the world are capable of loving. A remarkable new study will reveal that whales - hunted for centuries by man, and lauded in ancient literature for their mystical qualities - have the ability to experience love and also deep-rooted emotional suffering.
And, the knowledge of their organized hunting strategies observed in the wild can trigger an image of fear. But, these marine mammals also can ignite a sense of excitement and wonder.
Mostly, though, he said, they love to love. “They seem to really enjoy nuzzling,†said Balcomb. That's what he'd witnessed in the 70s and 80s, at what he called Haro Strait “parties,†centered around the area's salmon buffet, where orcas picked up mates, in their rare moments of mingling outside their families.
Orca intelligence hasn't been studied as intensively as the intelligence of bottlenose dolphins, but orca EQ has been pegged at around 2.5.
Orcas are highly intelligent, social mammals that have long been a part of marine park entertainment, performing shows for audiences. However, it's become increasingly clear that orcas do not thrive in captivity. They have evolved to swim up to 40 miles a day, foraging for food and exercising.
New research reveals that orcas are able to imitate human speech, in some cases at the first attempt, saying words such as “helloâ€, “one, two†and “bye byeâ€. The study also shows that the creatures are able to copy unfamiliar sounds produced by other orcas – including a sound similar to blowing a raspberry.
Other orcas, and similar animals like dolphins, have been seen apparently mourning their dead, but this is by far the longest recorded example of such behavior. J35, nicknamed Tahlequah, is a 20-year-old member of the long-studied J Pod of Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Orcas' brains are 2 1/2 times average — similar to those of chimpanzees. In other words, orcas might be even much smarter than the size of their big brain suggests.
Problem-solving abilitySeveral researchers observing animals' ability to learn set formation tend to rank dolphins at about the level of elephants in intelligence, and show that dolphins do not surpass other highly intelligent animals in problem solving.
Whales can feel pain, fear and distress. Animals that have this ability are called 'sentient'.
When a whale dies, gasses caused by the decomposition of its tissues may cause the carcass to float. Tides may carry the carcass to the shore. If in deep water, it may become “whale fall,†sinking to the ocean floor at a depth of more than 3,300 ft. When this happens, it leads to something amazing.
As these animals mourn their dead, they have been observed attending their deceased family members for long periods, showing depressive-like behavior similar to what a person would portray.
But some animals, such as humpback whales, exhibit the rarest of all altruism – not only with animals who are not related to them, but animals who aren't even the same species! In particular, these gentle giants seem to hold a grudge against some of the top predators of the sea – orca whales.
