HUMPBACK whales change their tune according to the season, and now
researchers think they know why. In response to changes in sea temperature, the
whales adapt their calls so they can be heard by other humpbacks over the
longest possible distance. The discovery may help naval ships and submarines
spot enemy vessels.
Humpbacks sing over different frequency ranges depending on the time of year,
says Eduardo Mercado of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Scientists had
attributed this to the way whale behaviour changes with the season: in the
summer, humpbacks are mainly concerned with feeding, while winter is primarily a…
