Wildlife Preservation Autumn 2012.indd - Wildlife Protection Society ...

elephants and some whales and
dolphins. Whales’ spindle neurons
occur in the same area of the brain
as in humans, but they have existed
in the brains of whales twice as long
as in the brains of humans. It seems
likely that cetaceans have been
capable of compassion and have been
acting on emotional cues far longer
than we have. The presence of such
large numbers of spindle neurons is
certainly evidence of the development
of complex social interactions and of
cognitive abilities comparable to those
of primates.
At Hervey Bay, whale watchers can
also hear the ‘songs’ of the male
humpbacks, as a hydrophone is
lowered into the water and the
sounds are ampli ed through
the loudspeakers on whale watch
vessels. These songs are one of the
most intriguing aspects of these
creatures, and are partly why humans
developed sympathy for the whales,
as the nature of the sounds suggests
complex communication and humanlike
emotions and attachments.
Amazingly, the whales lack functional
vocal cords, yet the songs of male
humpbacks are the longest and
most varied known in the animal
world, with some lasting up to 40
minutes. Humpbacks appear to create
their songs by altering the tension
of pneumatically driven vibrating
membranes, although the resonation
of air chambers may also play a part
in sound production. Each year the
song varies slightly, with one or two
phrases altered. How the changes
in these song patterns are decided
and communicated remains another
mystery.
In their present form, humpback
whales are believed to have existed
on the planet for some ve million to
twenty million years. Faced with total
extinction at the hand of man, there is
at last a ray of hope for the continued
survival of these magni cent
leviathans of the deep.
These astonishing animals were
composing their complex songs
and nurturing their a ectionate
relationships for millions of years
before we even existed, and they
have done so while living in perfect
harmony with their surroundings
and other species in a way that makes
human intelligence seem a pale
shadow of their wisdom.
Australian Wildlife Vol 2 - Autumn 2012
Fluke-up dive by humpback whale. Photo: Austin Stevens
Pacific Whale Foundation photographing humpback whale for identification, Hervey Bay, Queensland.
Photo: Austin Stevens
Whale watchers observe a humpback whale in Hervey Bay, Queensland
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