What do you think whales are talking about when they sing?

18% (368 votes)
Food
51% (1068 votes)
Mating
18% (376 votes)
Friendship
13% (279 votes)
Just making noise
Total votes: 2091

Your Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Ideas

bryan kennedy says:

I used to love to listen to these whales sing, when I was a kid. I had a flexi-record from National Geographic that came with the magazine. I almost wore it out I played it so much. It is cool to see scientists thinking about what these sounds mean.

posted on Tue, 03/28/2006 - 7:01pm
Anonymous says:

i think that they are just taking in gearal . like me and you do. do you really know what there talking about?

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 2:23pm
Anonymous says:

I think that the calls of whales sound really wierd and eerie. Sometimes when I hear them singing I think of those people who try to break glass and think that this might be what they are trying to live up to... kinda strange.

posted on Wed, 04/05/2006 - 6:40pm
Anonymous says:

I think they are talking about food and just having an conversion.

posted on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 12:10pm
Anonymous says:

how do they comunicate?

posted on Tue, 03/28/2006 - 7:07pm
<em>bryan kennedy</em>'s picture

Well, they sing songs that can be heard through the water for long distance. Their calls sound ghostly and almost like distant crying through the water.

posted on Tue, 03/28/2006 - 10:20pm
Anonymous says:

they are trying to get a mate\r\n

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 3:45pm
Anonymous says:

when whales sing why do they think about mating or is it just that they're calling another whale to mate with him\her?\r\n\r\n

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 3:49pm
Anonymous says:

Whales have special ears behind their eyes that can detect special codings in the whale's voice.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 8:40pm
Anonymous says:

Whales have no theater. All they're saying is "hey guys, here's a bunch of fish."

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 9:26am
Anonymous says:

i think their songs are beautiful its like you are listening to wonderful music\r\n

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 11:54am
Anonymous says:

Awsome!

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 4:35pm
Anonymous says:

when whales sing they are calling other whales. that's how they comunicate with one each other.

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 4:53pm
Anonymous says:

they sing if there is food to mate or for friendship.

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 4:55pm
Anonymous says:

Why Bother? Whales aren't that smart.

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 5:13pm
Anonymous says:

Are you serious? Whales have feelings too. Besides it's obvoiusly their way of communicating in any way!!!\r\n

posted on Sat, 04/08/2006 - 9:03pm
Anonymous says:

Why Bother? Whales aren't that smart.

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 5:13pm
Anonymous says:

They're just probably singing for fun or trying to get someone's attention. Maybe they recognize each other's voice.

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 5:21pm
Anonymous says:

i think that when when whales sing that it is just their way of communicating...like when we are having a simple conv. so not all whale calls are mating calls...you see?

posted on Wed, 03/29/2006 - 7:02pm
Anonymous says:
i think there singing about mateing becuase they want to show off there skills and plus my scince teacher told me that they sing before they mate!\r\n\r\n\r\nthnaks
posted on Thu, 03/30/2006 - 12:26pm
Anonymous says:

I think that it's their mating call.

posted on Thu, 03/30/2006 - 1:04pm
Anonymous says:

i think they make the nosies for mateing cause i think they want to show off or something like that!!!\r\n\r\n\r\nthanks!

posted on Thu, 03/30/2006 - 4:18pm
Anonymous says:

I think they are saying that it is a very beautiful day\r\nand the water feels great!!

posted on Thu, 03/30/2006 - 5:57pm
Anonymous says:

I think when they are happy they yell "woo hoo"!
In their own language.
By Ellie Nelson 03/30/06

posted on Thu, 03/30/2006 - 6:09pm
Anonymous says:

wails are cool\r\n\r\n

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 11:06am
Anonymous says:

Wails are really cool

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 12:21pm
Anonymous says:

tigers

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 12:11pm
Anonymous says:

I believe that whales sing to attract a mate, because an animals main purpose is to reproduce and keep the species alive. So I think that like other animals when the whale sing which is out of the ordinary, therefore possibly a mating ritual, is to attract a mate and sustain the species.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 12:20pm
Anonymous says:

Yes I agree with your idea. All different animals have different ways to find a mate and whales sing. You are a very intelligent person. Im glad I know you.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 1:31pm
Anonymous says:

I know that when whales sing,they sing about mating becuase I studied whales.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 4:50pm
Anonymous says:

i think that whales are singin about mating...what do humans talk about all the time? well for starters our weddings are humungus and we spend our lives searching for that speacial someone before we can finally relax. \r\n\r\nso i assume whales are mostly the same way.\r\n\r\n\r\nposted by: becka \r\nage: 15

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 7:43pm
Anonymous says:

Do whales mate for life, or do they jsut mate from year to year?

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 8:44pm
Anonymous says:

I think they are looking for a mate and they keep making noise because they are happy.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 8:53pm
Anonymous says:

perhaps they are just making random noise!Ever thought of that? huh?

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 8:59pm
Anonymous says:

How can you know what a whale is thinking?

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 9:10pm
Anonymous says:

Could their singing serve more than one purpose? More than one idea could be correct. Consider the human. Does the average human just talk about food? No. The average human talks about a multitude of thing, as this discussion should shows.

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 9:42pm
Anonymous says:

how am i supposed to know im only 11 GOSH\r\n

posted on Fri, 03/31/2006 - 11:35pm
Anonymous says:

i think whales sing to get on to american underwater idol. either that or ; lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalallalalalalaalalalalalala

posted on Sat, 04/01/2006 - 3:19pm
Anonymous says:

ok......thats just wierd.\r\n

posted on Sat, 04/01/2006 - 7:12pm
Anonymous says:

Ummmmmmm...I dont think so,but if you want to think that then O.K.

posted on Sun, 04/02/2006 - 12:00pm
Anonymous says:

FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Sun, 04/02/2006 - 1:40pm
Anonymous says:

I always thought it was for mating, and I thought, well, they sure as heck aren't just making noise.
from,
ducky

posted on Sun, 04/02/2006 - 3:51pm
Anonymous says:

I thought whales sing because they are mating because all animals are looking to reproduce..

posted on Mon, 04/03/2006 - 1:37pm
Anonymous says:

i think the song is mating

posted on Wed, 04/05/2006 - 1:32pm
Anonymous says:

i think that whales are just having a normal conversation

posted on Wed, 04/05/2006 - 2:39pm
Anonymous says:

whales are cool

posted on Wed, 04/05/2006 - 2:53pm
Anonymous says:

i think that whales are radical.

posted on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 12:03pm
Anonymous says:

who says we have to know?

posted on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 3:04pm
Anonymous says:

I theink they are talking to each other in a way only they can understand, for all purposes.

posted on Fri, 04/07/2006 - 7:13am
Anonymous says:

i think whales are singing about freidship.\r\nfiona

posted on Fri, 04/07/2006 - 5:05pm
Anonymous says:

food because they have been traveling all day\r\n\r\n

posted on Sat, 04/08/2006 - 2:38pm
Anonymous says:

I am not entirely sure. It couold be anything. But I just think it's their way of communicating!!! You know like how we talk, dogs bark or growl, cats meow, ext. That's what I always thought, and I thought that was what scientists thought too!!! Why would you even be asking that, isn't it obvious? Well, that's my thoughts in case anyone cares, which you should, because that's why you asked!?!?

***Jordan***

posted on Sat, 04/08/2006 - 8:59pm
Anonymous says:

i think that thier talking about food because thier always hungry.

posted on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 2:10pm
Anonymous says:

I don't think whales talk at all! Really, I think that they are saying nothing, just bored. I mean, what else would they do down there?

posted on Fri, 04/14/2006 - 7:39pm
Anonymous says:

i think that they are just talking about stuff just like us

posted on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 4:45pm
Anonymous says:

i think they are talking about food, mating and also use communication as a way to recognize eachother...whether that be because they each have a different, distinct "voice" or a distinct pattern of calls they make to identify themselves to others (like saying "hey this is bob!!")

posted on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 5:12pm
Anonymous says:

I agree that the whales are trying to comunicate with eachother.

posted on Wed, 04/12/2006 - 2:00pm
Anonymous says:

I think they are talking about Seinfeld. I mean, they get cable in the ocean, right?

posted on Sat, 04/15/2006 - 1:13pm
Anonymous says:

They get cable in the ocean, but not the premium channels.

posted on Sun, 04/16/2006 - 11:50am