North Atlantic right whale mothers “whisper” to their calves to keep them safe, according to a new report.
The hulking mammals—which can grow longer than 52 feet and weigh more than 154,000 lbs—have few natural predators in adulthood.
Babies are another story.
Promiscuous breeders, right whales first give birth around age nine, then pop out another calf every three to six years (an interval that seems to have increased due to climate change).
I’m no mathematician, but that’s a lot of kids to look after.
Unlike human mothers, though, who are often found shouting at their children (no judgement), mama right whales appear to lower their voice when speaking to offspring, so as not to attract attention from predators.
A study, led by Syracuse University biology professor Susan Parks, suggests parents “hide” their young by limiting their usual loud, long-distance communication signals.
Listening to whale sounds collected off the coasts of Florida and Georgia, Parks & Co. analyzed data from mother-calf pairs, as well as other juvenile and pregnant whales that have less need to hide.
The results, recently published in the journal Biology Letters, show that family units not only drastically reduce common yelps, but also produce soft, short, grunt-like tones not audible more than a short distance away.
“These sounds can be thought of almost like a human whisper,” Parks said in a statement. “They allow the mother and calf to stay in touch with each other without advertising their presence to potential predators in the area.”
Right whales face a number of challenges, from low birth rates to high death tolls, Parks explained.
There have been 30 confirmed casualties in the past three years—including Punctuation (named for her comma-shaped scars), who was found lifeless earlier this year in Canada’s Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
With only about 400 left in our oceans, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whale species. Any additional death—especially of a reproductive female—increases their risk.
“There are still so many things we don’t know about their behavior,” Parks said. “And it is my hope that studies like these will help to improve efforts for their conservation.”
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