Songs of the Humpback Whale and Whale Songs

Frank Watlington began recording humpback whale sounds with a hydrophone off Bermuda in 1952. An older humpback whale recording was discovered near Bermuda from 1949, when it had been labeled fish noises. The sounds on the 1949 recording were later found to repeat in long, predictable patterns.

Roger Payne played the recordings for people around him, helping whale sounds reach a wider audience. The album sold more than 125,000 copies and became the best-selling album in the history of nature albums.

The album was released as part of a broader change in public perceptions of whales. Before 1970, exposure to the sounds of large whales was rare. The reason humpback whales sing remains unknown. Some scientists have proposed that whale songs may be a form of long-distance communication and echolocation.

Humpback whale songs evolve over time and can spread between different populations.