Instant Genius How whales may be using their haunting songs as a navigation system
Nov 7, 2025
Eduardo Mercado, a behavioral neuroscientist and author of Why Whales Sing, dives into the mysterious world of whale songs. He discusses how these melodic hymns may serve as a form of echolocation, similar to bats, rather than just for communication or mating. Mercado reveals that whale songs can last up to 40 hours and travel incredible distances, even 1,000 km. He also highlights the detrimental effects of increasing ocean noise from shipping and fishing, which disrupts these magnificent creatures' ability to navigate and communicate.
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Wider Than Expected Hearing Range
- Recent tests show baleen whales hear higher frequencies than assumed.
- Minke whales demonstrate hearing ranges that overlap with humans and extend to higher pitches.
Male-Biased Singing Observations
- In studied populations, almost all sexed humpback singers are males.
- Mercado notes the sexual bias but cautions sexing data is limited to few locations.
Extraordinary Duration Of Song
- Whales can sing for astonishingly long sessions, sometimes continuously for over 40 hours.
- Mercado emphasizes songs are continuous vocal streams rather than discrete short performances.
