Listening for Whales Approaching_P03

Whales use sound in two ways. First, whales make a clicking noise to make echoes, like SONAR. The clicking noise reflects back. Whales have special sensors in their heads that lets them hear the echoes. This helps them find food and avoid predators. Whales also use sound to communicate with each other. To do this, they use a kind of whistling sound. They change the pitch to “say” different things to each other. Whales communicate with each other through sound about food sources. They also “sing” to each other socially, like how I talk to my friends after school. They warn away predators and use sound to stay in touch with family pods and young.

So how do whales make sound? All sounds begin with vibration. For example, a guitar string vibrates when it is plucked. The vibrating string repeatedly pushes against the air particles next to it. The pressure of the moving string causes these air particles to vibrate. The air particles push together and spread apart very quickly. Vibration travels in all directions away from the strings. This same thing happens underwater. When whales whistle or click, they cause the particles of water to vibrate. Sound can travel through any type of solid, liquid, or gas.

The boat travels back to the harbor. I think about how special whales are. Maybe someday I’ll become a scientist that studies whales. I want to learn how to understand what whales are saying when they sing. Maybe then I could talk to them! I think that singing lessons may be the way to go.