A Big Discovery Out at Sea
Just recently, scientists with Project CETI and UC Berkeley made waves in the marine-science world: their study shows that Sperm whale codas — those rapid bursts of clicks in the deep — contain patterns resembling human vowels and even diphthongs. PubMed Central+3Popular Science+3National Geographic+3
In short: what once seemed like mechanical click-chatter may actually hide a far more structured communication system than we ever realized.
The researchers sped up recordings and removed silences to reveal patterns they could even label with letters like “a” and “i.” National Geographic+1 They found two distinct vowel-like categories — “a-codas” and “i-codas” — and also combinations (diphthongs) that suggest a finer control of sound than clicks alone. Popular Science+1
They’re not saying whales speak human language — far from it. But this is a big leap toward showing whales use structured, intentional sound patterns. GreaterGood+1
How That Connects to Humpback Whale Research in Hawaiʻi
While the sperm whale study focused on deep-ocean click-whales (odontocetes), there’s promising work on the other side of the cetacean family — the baleen whales like the Humpback whale.
Researchers are increasingly applying AI and machine-learning tools to analyze whale vocalizations: identifying patterns, clustering types of songs and calls, and trying to link sound to behaviour. WHYY+1
In Hawaiʻi, where humpbacks migrate for breeding, listening systems (hydrophones) are already used to record song, track individuals, and monitor underwater noise. All of this is groundwork for the next step: could AI help decode humpback communication the way it’s helping with sperm whales?
A Story from Our Tour: Hearing Whales in Real Time
Picture this: we’re out on the water in Kona, the sun low on the horizon, our boat rocking gently on the ocean swells. A hush falls as the tour slows. We lower our hydrophone into the water — a long cable with the microphone deep beneath us — and wait.
Suddenly: a rich, rolling song echoes through the speakers. It’s a humpback somewhere below, perhaps metres from the hull. You glance at your fellow snorkel-mates: eyes wide, listening. At that moment, you’re not just looking for dolphins or turtles — you’re hearing a whale talk, sing, communicate.
We know about the sperm whale vowel-study, and we reflect: “What we’re hearing might be just a fragment of what these whales say to each other.” Imagine that — a humpback in the Hawaiian winter has tuned into a social orchestra below the surface, and our hydrophone is the microphone.
Why It Matters for Conservation & Connection
Why do these discoveries — vowel-like patterns in sperm whale clicks, AI tools in whistle/song decoding — matter?
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Communication = social structure. When whales have complex vocal systems, it means their societies are more rich and layered than we assumed.
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Technology opens doors. AI and ML help us sift through huge acoustic datasets and reveal structure humans alone could miss. WHYY+1
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Hawaiʻi is a listening post. Our waters are home to humpbacks whose songs carry far. The more we hear, the more we can understand threats — ship noise, habitat disruption, stressors.
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Greater empathy, better action. When people hear whales “talking,” even if we don’t fully understand them, it sparks connection. And connection builds motivation to protect.
What You Can Do on a Tour
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When you join us, listen for the hydrophone-tones. Ask the crew to point out when a deep hum means a whale might be nearby.
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Bring headphones if you want to listen closely. The ocean isn’t silent — it’s alive with low-frequency rumble and song.
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Respect the silence: minimize your own noise, keep your distance, and be mindful that we’re guests in their world.
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Snap a photo, yes — but also take a moment just to listen. That moment of quiet might be the most memorable.
Final Thoughts
The more we uncover how whales communicate — whether it’s sperm whales clicking what looks like vowels, or humpbacks singing deep below Hawaiʻi’s waters — the more we realize we share a world of sound with these giants.
Every time you join a tour, every time our hydrophone drops, you’re participating in that discovery. You’re witnessing not just a whale watching moment — but a moment of connection, between species, across oceans, across centuries.
Mahalo for being part of it.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
reuters.com
wired.com
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