Bioacoustics researcher reports on whales’ unique ability to compose songs
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029098
NPR : In an interview, bioacoustics researcher Katy Payne discusses the extensive investigation into humpback whale song that she and her husband Roger Payne conducted starting in the 1960s. Their interest was sparked during a trip to Bermuda in 1964, when they met engineer Frank Watlington, who shared whale recordings he had made using a hydrophone, or underwater microphone. From spectrograms she made of the recordings, Katy Payne, who also majored in music, was able to discern distinct melodies and rhythms. She likens the animals’ song to jazz in that each male “riffs” on the same tune but also introduces innovations. The NPR interview online includes samples of whale song as well as a duet between Katy and one of the whales.