Atypical calling by a blue whale in the Gulf of Alaska (L)

摘要

Worldwide, calls from blue whales share the characteristics of being long (>20 s), low-frequency (< 100 Hz) signals that often exhibit amplitude and frequency modulation. Despite sharing these basic features, the calls of blue whales recorded in different ocean basins are distinct from one another, leading to the suggestion that populations and/or subspecies may be identified based on call characteristics. An example of anomalous calling behavior by a blue whale in the Gulf of Alaska is reported that may complicate this approach, and that suggests that blue whales can mimic each other's calls.