Mammal Sounds
In 1972 Roger Payne recorded and released the "Songs of the Humpback Whale" to the world. The doleful and complex melodies of these magnificent animals captured the imagination of public, opening their hearts and bringing tears to the eyes of many - and paving the way to a moratorium on industrial whaling.
But recognition of the musicality of cetaceans dates back at least as far as the 7th Century B.C.E., when dolphins recognized Greek musician Arion as kindred musician and rescued him when he was cast into the sea by his thieving shipmates.
Like all mammals, marine mammals have "cochlea" in their inner ears, allowing them to discriminate pitch. With the exceptions of sea lions, otters and polar bears, marine mammals do not have “outer ears” or pinnae (used for focusing air-born sound perception).
Also unlike the sea lions, otters and polar bears, the marine mammals without pinnae create complex, diverse, and in some cases spectacular sounds and songs. We have divided them into three groups: Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales, and Pinnipeds.