The Longest Whale Song

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It’s tempting to think that as our understanding of whale vocalisations develop, humans may someday be able to communicate with whales. For 15 years, the navy kept the knowledge of whale songs a secret, until in 1967 engineer Frank Watlington gave recordings of the songs to biologist Roger Payne, who was a specialist in bat and owl vocalisations. Watlington had discovered that the whale songs consisted of a series of phrases that would be repeated perfectly, over and over. One of the big differences between us and whales is that when we produce sound, air expels from our mouth – we are inhaling and exhaling as we do so. Whereas when whales vocalise, they're doing so underwater in a closed system – they’re moving air around internally .” Will we ever be able to talk to whales? We don't know the exact function of the songs at this point. But it could be part of male-male competition, or to attract a mate. Or they could be a multi-message signal ,” says Garland.

I read this and thought it was really good! Some bits could have been a bit longer, but overall it was a very good read!"Professor Wenwu Cao in the Department of Mathematics at Penn State Materials Research Institute published a study last year in the journal Physical Review Applied describing how porpoises can use the oily material in their heads (described as a 'meta material') to create narrow beams of sound instead of regular sound waves that travel in all directions.

I didn't really think I'd enjoy it, but I got given it for a present and it was a lot better than I expected. The storyline was typical of Jacqueline Wilson and like all her books, there was something unique in it." It is really good. Unlike in Harry Potter, lots of different things happen so it doesn't get boring."Mum – She gives birth to Samson but then something goes wrong and she is put into a coma. Ella makes her listen to whale songs that she enjoys very much. She speaks at the end, complaining about the music. The doctors all believe that her hope is running out, however, when Ella plays her the gentle, calming whale song she sighs ever so softly, as if about to awaken. It forms a very special connection, and for a few moments they can almost communicate. She is a very caring and nurturing mother, and is ever so sensitive to Ella's emotions. She is summarised as the best mother in the world, by her beloved daughter Ella. Baleen whales use this channel not just for communicating with each other, but also for navigating, by listening to the echoes of their calls bouncing off distant ocean shelves and coastlines, creating mental maps of the ocean. This book looks really good, I love Jacqueline Wilson! I have read many of her books and I'm looking forward to reading this one." The Longest Whale Song is a jaw-dropping book. I have just finished reading it today. It has a lot of emotion and I recommend it to everyone, especially Jacqueline Wilson fans! I hope you all get to read it because it's a fabulous book!"