Below are actual recordings from Southeast Alaska of humback whales. Select the format you prefer to use to listen to the files. These recordings are the property of the scientists who captured the sound. Please give appropriate credit to the scientist and our organization, AWF, if you take these sounds and use them. If you have suggestions of recordings you would be interested in hearing, let us know at AWF@alaskawhalefoundation.org. We can check our archives to see if we can post more recordings that interest you. As always, you can help AWF continue their research and expand their library of recordings by supporting AWF.

A pod of whales breathing at the surface. About 23 seconds in length.
Recording by Pieter Folkens August 2003 in Iyoukeen Cove, Chatham Strait. Seagulls can be heard in the background. WAV file (2.02 MB) or MP3 file (279 KB)

Feeding Calls
Feeding calls produced by the whale Captain Hook About 1 minute, 7 seconds in length.
Recording by Sean Hanser 24 August 2004 in Iyoukeen Cove, Chatham Stait. The sound at the end is the whales breathing out as they break through the surface of the water. WAV file (5.73 MB) or MP3 file (1.56 MB)
Feeding calls produced by the whale Trumpeter About 30 seconds in length.
Recording by Fred Sharpe 14 August 1996 at Morris Reef, Chatham Strait. This is not a complete sequence; there are 3 “normal” calls and then a jump to a higher register. The 2nd and 3rd high calls sound like the voice is “cracking.” WAV file (1.35 MB) or MP3 file (366 KB)
Feeding calls produced by more than one whale simultaneously About 42 seconds in length.
Recording by Fred Sharpe 10 September 1997 in Tenakee Inlet, Chatham Strait. This is an example of feeding call “chorusing.” The second vocalizer has a high squeaky vocalization. There are some nasty pops made by the recording equipment at the end. WAV file (1.87 MB) or MP3 file (508 KB)

Feeding Calls During Vessel Noise
Feeding calls produced during outboard motor noise About 48 seconds in length.
Recording by Sean Hanser 19 August 2004 near Danger Point, Chatham Strait. You hear an outboard motor (probably around 50hp) start and you hear the propeller cavitating. Feeding calls occur about 12 seconds after the start of the boat sound – the whales do not proceed through to actually lunging at the surface of the water. The boat sound source was about 1/4 mile from the microphone. The whales were between 1/4 and 1/2 mile from the microphone. WAV file (4.23 MB) or MP3 file (578 KB)
Feeding calls produced during fishing vessel operation noise About 1 minute, 10 seconds in length.
Recording by Sean Hanser 19 August 2004 near Parker Point, Chatham Strait. CAUTION! This recording has some sudden loud sounds! You hear a fishing vessel with the engine idling and shifting in and out of gear, probably bringing in net, roo. You can hear hardware working clearly. After the engine starts moving at higher RPMs, the feeding calls start. WAV file (5.96 MB) or MP3 file (814 KB)

Social Vocalizations
These are defined by AWF as vocalizations that are not feeding calls and are used across a broad variety of contexts. The names that we give these sounds are not official.
Chipping About 10 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 11 July 1998 at Marble Bluffs, Chatham Strait. This is an excellent example of a social vocalization we call “chipping.” The sonogram used in header at the top of the this page is a picture of this vocalization. WAV file (477 KB) or MP3 file (132 KB)
Horn-like Social Vocalizations About 10 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 11 September 1997 in Tenakee Inlet, Chatham Strait. We think this sounds like a brass instrument. WAV file (582 KB) or MP3 file (160 KB)
Low Frequency Social Vocalizations About 13 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 10 September 1997 in Tenakee Inlet, Chatham Strait. This is a collection of low frequency social sounds recorded while a pod was traveling. WAV file (618 KB) or MP3 file (170 KB)
Variety of Social Vocalizations About 40 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 26 July 1996 off of Cape Bendel, Frederick Sound. A recording of a variety of social sounds in real time. In order of appearance: chipping and groan together, distorted roars, long whine (fainter), roar, whups, and a clearer narrow band sound that goes high. WAV file (1.66 MB) or MP3 file (451 KB)
Eerie, Long Social Vocalizations About 19 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 14 September 1997 in Tenakee Inlet, Chatham Strait. Eerie “floating” vocalizations of at least two to three whales. WAV file (776 KB) or MP3 file (213 KB)
More Variety of Social Vocalizations About 38 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 17 June 1997 at Yasha Island, Frederick Sound. This recording is chock-full of many interesting social sounds: starts off with high frequency vocalizations then grunts, barks, broad bands sounds, machine gun-like sounds, and keeps going! WAV file (1.66 MB) or MP3 file (450 KB)
Wandering Social Vocalizations About 16 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 14 September 1997 in Tenakee Inlet, Chatham Strait. More low-key social vocalizations; some sound like stereotyped monkey vocalizations. There are also "wandering" vocalizations and whups. WAV file (707 KB) or MP3 file (194 KB)
Broad Band Social Vocalizations About 35 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe in September 1996 at Five Fingers Island, Frederick Sound. A variety of broad band social sounds. One vocalization even sounds like a motorcycle or boat motor about two-thirds of the way through the recording. WAV file (1.51 MB) or MP3 file (411 KB)
Aggressive "Screaming" About 34 seconds in length.
Recorded by Fred Sharpe 26 July 1996 off of Cape Bendel, Frederick Sound. Although we cannot tell what was going on underwater, this sounds to us like vocalizations used during aggressive communication. WAV file (1.48 MB) or MP3 file (404 KB)

Podcasts of Interviews with AWF Scientists
Interview with Sean Hanser on KDRT, Davis, California About 1 hour in length.
Recorded 13 April 2006. Sean plays some recordings of whale, dolphin, and elephant seal sounds and explains what is being heard. The host is a very creative person named Karl Mogul who has a interesting show and web site called The Inoculated Mind This show and web site focus on discussing science and disseminating science news. Here is a link to the page that features the show in their archives. The show begins with a news review that is unrelated to the interview with Sean.
Interview with Sean Hanser on KVMR, Nevada City, California About 18 minutes, 50 seconds in length.
Recorded 21 February 2006. Sean discusses the link between SETI and his research on vocal communication on the program Soundings hosted by Alan Stahler. MP3 file (11.02 MB)
Interview with Sean Hanser on KXJZ, the Sacramento, California NPR Station About 11 minutes, 35 seconds in length.
Recorded 25 December 2005. Sean discusses research on the impact of human-generated noise on humpback whales on the program Insight, hosted by Jeffery Callison. MP3 file (6.80 MB)