Marine Acoustics: Humpback Whales

Underwater ocean view of a mother humpback whale with calf swimming beside
Underwater ocean view of a mother humpback whale with her calf swimming beside her.

NOAA

  • Humpback Whale Calls


    One minute sound clip features the calls of a humpback whale at National Park of American Samoa. Whale calls are among a variety of marine life sounds recorded at the park. Human made sounds include commercial and recreational boat motors.

    Credit / Author:
    NPS
    Date created:
    10/14/2020
Underwater ocean view of a scuba diver inspecting a hydrophone on the ocean floor.
An NPS scientist in scuba diving gear inspects hydrophone equipment installed at National Park of American Samoa.

NPS

National Park of American Samoa


Housed in a titanium pressure case anchored to the ocean floor 110 ft. deep off Tutuila Island, a hydrophone logs incoming signals from humpback whales. Located in turquoise waters in the heart of the South Pacific, the park is a thoroughfare for migrating marine life such as whales. Humpbacks seek the warm, South Pacific waters in late fall and early winter to mate and give birth. They rely on sound to communicate with one another and detect vital environmental cues. Their calls are among many different recorded sounds that are sampled and analyzed by scientists each year. The recordings help scientists identify species presence and seasonal patterns of activity of both marine life and humans.

Landscape scene of tropical beach with palm trees, white sand and mountains at National Park of American Samoa
Tropical island view of a white sand beach, palm trees, and mountains at National Park of American Samoa.

NPS

Last updated: July 17, 2018

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