Whale Calls & Sounds
A Sampling of Audio sounds recoded in Squally Channel, the location of the SWAG project Hydrophone Array
Humpback whale bubble net feeding call
Humpback whales work cooperatively to trap fish and other small prey by encircling them with a curtain of bubbles. The whales then swim up and feed on their prey with mouths wide open. Bubble net feeding is a common behavior that humpback whales exhibit in Gitga’at Territory.
Humpback whale song
Humpback whales exhibit some of the most elaborate singing displays in the marine environment. It is thought that male whales sing to attract mates. It was previously thought that singing only occurred in tropical breeding grounds. However, long term monitoring by NCCS in this region revealed that Humpbacks may be beginning to develop and practice their songs in Gitga’at Territory before they migrate.
Orca/killer whale calls
Two ecotypes of Orcas are found in Gitga’at Territory. Northern resident killer whales are fish eaters, and transient or Biggs killer whales feed on smaller mammals, like seals, others and sealions. Both ecotypes are vocal and social.
Fin whale call
Fin whales communicate at very low frequencies that are inaudible to the human ear. These can only be seen on spectrogram. However, by speeding up the recording, the human ear can hear these calls. Listen for the Uuubh….. Uuubh sound that occurs at regular intervals in this clip.
Boat Noise
Marine vessels can be incredibly noisy underwater. This clip from the SWAG project area depicts the sound of a small vessel.