Fin whales are majestic marine creatures found in oceans. These marine mammals, well known for their impressive size and streamlined bodies, also have a unique talent - they can sing. A study by Scientific Reports identified monthly and yearly trends in song patterns and explored the potential sub-population structuring in fin whales.
The report, titled “Fin whale song characteristics and Potential Subpopulation Identity in the New York Bight,” has documented fin whale songs in the New York Bight (NYB) between 2017 and 2020 using passive acoustic data.
The Fin whale song can have a very regular pattern, and variations in song patterns across different regions, which might be a valuable indicator of the identification and distribution of subpopulations.
In the Northwest Atlantic, these endangered species are currently managed as a single stock, despite earlier identification of distinct regional song patterns, which suggest potential subpopulation structuring and vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance if they are not managed appropriately.
Fin whales, currently listed on the US Endangered Species Act, sing a “highly stereotyped song that is seasonally a major component of the ocean soundscape,” the report stated.
To examine the presence and distribution of fin whales, one of the most useful methods is passive acoustic monitoring (PAM).
However, the report noted that only male fin whales were documented singing, and these songs were believed to serve a reproductive function.
How fin whales sing
The song is majorly composed of downsweeps that usually range from 23 to 18 Hz. With a centre frequency of around 20 Hz, these downsweeps are generally called the 20 Hz pulses or notes.
These song sequences are usually composed of long and repeated series of 20 Hz notes, while a brief period of silence -- lasting from seconds to minutes -- is seen between a song sequence when the whale surfaces to breathe.
“Long song sequences are generally recorded leading up to and during the winter reproductive season while shorter, more sporadic song sequences are recorded during the summer. The song is typically characterised by the inter-note interval (INI), or length of time, between two sequential 20 Hz notes,” the report stated.
During the research period, archived recordings from a total of 653 days were manually examined to understand the presence of fin whale songs between 2017 and 2020, while 251 annotated fin whale songs were used to assess the monthly and yearly trends, it added.
The report found that the fin whale song was detected in all 12 months of the year, with it being most prevalent in the fall to winter (September–December), followed by springtime between March and April. It was typically sporadic from late spring to summer (between May and July).
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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