Sperm whales can cram 1,600 micro clicks into a single second and repeat the same discrete communications over and over again, down to the millisecond. They can broadcast their calls hundreds of miles across the ocean, identify each other with unique codas, and even have different dialects between geographically separate pods.
As if that wasn’t amazing enough, sperm whales can emit sounds at a volume of 230 decibels, which is louder than a jet engine. The whales will welcome freedivers into their pods and shower them with their echolocation clicks to “see” the freedivers. The clicks are so powerful, they can be felt in the freedivers’ bodies and heat them up in minutes.
James Nestor has said we’re prepared to spend billions to search for non-human, intelligent life in outer space, but we don’t even know how to communicate with non-human intelligent life right here in our oceans.
Who is your favorite cetacean communicator? Let us know in the comments!
Every day, we’re posting information and inspiration for you! Just use the hashtags below on your favorite social media platform. And to learn more about Language Card Games, we warmly welcome you to visit our website of the same name!
Have a fantastic week learning languages!
#AnimalLanguage #TheDailyPhoenix
Sperm Whale Communication
