Humpback Whales 'Click' For Food

Toothed whales aren't the only whales that generate clicking sounds when searching for food. Apparently, baleen whales do it too, according to a recent study.

The study, detailed in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal Biology Letters, offers the first evidence that baleen whales produce "megapclicks," which are normally associated with toothed whales.

Toothed whales, such as Sperm whales, make similar clicking sounds to echolocate—that is, to find and identify objects by emitting and bouncing sounds off them.

NOAA scientists gathered their data by attaching acoustic tags to baleen whales around Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts. The tags recorded broadband clicks and sharp body rolls occurring at the end of click bouts, which suggests the sounds were made during feeding episodes.

Explanations for this include the possibility that the whales were echolocating to locate prey, to detect the sea floor and other large targets, or that the sounds were used to attract prey. Still, the researchers note that not enough is known about baleen whales to establish any definitive answers at this time.

Additional studies completed during the summer may provide further insights into this mystery.

—LiveScience Staff

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