How whales and dolphins use the sounds they make
How whales and dolphins use the sounds they make
John Rafferty, associate editor of Earth sciences of Encyclopædia Britannica, discussing the sounds that whales make and the differences between the sounds of baleen whales and toothed whales.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.John Rafferty, associate editor of Earth sciences of Encyclopædia Britannica, discussing the sounds that whales make and the differences between the sounds of baleen whales and toothed whales.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzA diver encountering a newborn sperm whale.
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Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A discussion of whales around the San Juan Islands of Washington, from the documentary Science at Sea: The Whale Museum.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzHumpback-whale watching at Rurutu, French Polynesia.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Christopher Meder/Dreamstime.comFemale belugas returning to Canada's Hudson Bay to give birth and raise their young.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) recorded at sea.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.An overview of beaked whales, particularly True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus).
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The average dolphin eats 15 to 20 pounds of fish per day.Media Editor: Lauren Sims
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzWhale watching in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic.
News •
Scientists release open-source device that will help all humans communicate with whales
• Dec. 20, 2025, 3:13 AM ET (Earth.com)
Transcript
All cetaceans, that is whales, dolphins, and their relatives, can produce sound. Toothed whales, which include the dolphins, killer whales, porpoises, and the sperm whale, produce high-frequency sounds that are useful for echolocation. Baleen whales produce sounds that are lower frequency than toothed whales, and these are primarily used in communication. The low-frequency sounds that baleen whales produce are among the loudest sounds that are produced by animals on the planet.
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