Abstract:
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are well
known for their complex song which is culturally transmitted and produced
by males. However, the function of singing behavior remains
poorly understood. Song was observed from 57 min of acoustic recording
in the presence of feeding humpback whales aggregated in the nearshore
waters on the west coast of South Africa. The structural organization
of the song components, lack of overlap between song units, and
consistency in relative received level suggest the song was produced by
one “singer.” The unusual timing and location of song production adds
further evidence of plasticity in song production.
