Science at the pool? Horse Jr. and I did a cool experiment that got me reading about whale communication.

Tweet

Horse Jr and I were swimming the other day, when he said "See if you can hear what I'm saying under water." He spoke. I listened. I couldn't understand a single word he said. We switched roles. Same result. But then I suggested we try singing to each other and see if we can identify what song the other is singing. Our success rate was close to 100%. He even sang what he knows to be my least favorite song: The Joker, by Steve Miller. I came up shouting "No! The Humanity!" and we both laughed. But then we started talking about how whales communicate, and we wondered whether they use musical notes in their communication. When we got back to my house, I couldn't help but Google whale communication. Yes, whales do use repeating sequences of musical notes (frequencies, literally) to communicate, but their "songs" evolve over time. Apparently the humpback whale has one of the most complex "languages." I also learned that "noise pollution," caused by humans, may be interfering with whales' ability to communicate using sound. Right now, researchers are trying to figure out which sounds are associated with food sources, which male sounds are to "impress the chicks," etc. I've always wanted to swim with dolphins, since they are one of the smartest critters out there. I'll be doing more reading about whale communication.