wecastonlineScientists researching the sperm whales residing around the Caribbean island of Dominica have, for the first time, outlined the fundamental aspects of their potential communication methods. This endeavor aims to eventually enhance efforts in protecting these creatures.
Similar to many whales and dolphins, sperm whales are profoundly social mammals. They communicate by expelling air through their respiratory systems, producing rapid sequences of clicks underwater, which can resemble an exceptionally loud zipper. Additionally, these clicks serve as a form of echolocation, aiding them in tracking their prey.
Scientists have been trying for decades to understand what those clicks might mean, with only minimal progress. While they still don’t know, they now think there are sets of clicks they believe make up a “phonetic alphabet” that the whales can use to build the very rough equivalent of what people think of as words and phrases.
