August 1, 2022
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0:17Now PlayingOff Queensland's coast, humpback whales can be heard singing clearly to each other, as new research shows they are learning complex tunes from other regions.
About 40,000 humpback whales are on their annual migration along Australia's eastern coastline and, according to Lady Elliot Island reef guide Jacinta Shackleton, it is as easy as putting your head under water to hear them.
"You can actually hear their song right at the surface of the water, and as you get deeper, they get louder," she said.
Their songs change every year, and researchers at the University of Queensland, including study leader Jenny Allen, have found neighbouring whale populations are learning each other's distinct tunes.
"The whales in east Australia sing a particular song pattern … and then the next year, whatever song east Australia was singing, the New Caledonia whales will be singing," Dr Allen said.
"So, the song is learned from one population to another."
#Queensland #Australia #OceanLife #Shorts
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