Low frequency, ca. 40 Hz, pulse trains recorded in the humpback whale assembly in Hawaii

James D Darling1

  • 1Whale Trust, P.O. Box 243, Makawao, Hawaii 96768-0243, USA jimd367@gmail.com.

During studies of humpback whale song and social sounds in Hawaii, bouts of low frequency (ca. 40 Hz) pulses were periodically recorded. One example was made near an active group of eight adults (included 22 bouts, 2-13 s long, over 90 min); another close to an adult male-female pair (12 bouts, 9-93 s long, over 22 min). The mean peak and center frequencies (39 to 40 Hz) and bandwidth (13 Hz) were similar in both, but the organization of the pulses differed. Song components, social sounds, bubble trains, or other species do not provide a ready explanation for this sound.

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