Comparison of Songs of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae)
Recorded in Japan, Hawaii, and Mexico During the Winter of 1989
- David A. Helweg
- Department of Psychology and Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory,
- University of Hawaii
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- Louis M. Herman
- Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory
-
- Satoru Yamamoto
- Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory
-
- Paul H. Forestell
- Pacific Whale Foundation
-
-
- Recordings of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
song were obtained between 10 March and 14 April 1989 from the
Bonin Islands and Ryukyuan Islands of Japan, the Hawaiian Islands,
and the southeastern Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Through analyses
of the song samples obtained, seven "themes" were identified
in Hawaiian and in Bonin song and six in Mexican song. Theme similarities
across these three regions arranged theselves hierarchically:
Hawaii and Mexico shared five themes in common, and did not share
three; Hawaii and Bonin shared four themes and did not share three;
and Mexico and Bonin shared three themes and did not share six.
Three themes appeared in all three regions. The song samples from
the Ryukyu were all of short duration and were likely an incomplete
record of the entire song repertoire. Nevertheless, of the three
themes identified in the Ryukyan samples, two appeared in Bonin
song and none in Mexican and Hawaiian song. Overall, the thematic
data suggested that there is acoustic cantact during some portion
of the migratory cycle among the whales wintering in Mexico, Hawaii,
and the Bonin Islands.
- PACS numbers: 43.80.Jz, 43.80.Lb
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- Helweg, D.A., Herman, L. M.., Yamamoto, S., & Forestell,
P. (1990). Comparison of songs of Humpback Whales (Megaptera
novaeangliae) rcorded in Japan, Hawaii and Mexico during the
winter of 1989. Scientific Reports of Cetacean Research, 1-20
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