Whale Whispers

Whale songs can be heard for hundreds of miles in the ocean. The beautiful, plaintive sound evokes images of solitude in the dark ocean depths. But what if predators are lurking nearby? Can a whale whisper?

Recent research reveals that North Atlantic right whale mothers seek shallow waters with their newborns to escape from orcas, a primary predator. In the shallows, the sound of crashing waves masks other sounds. There, mom and calf can communicate in muted calls that fade into the background noise within 600 feet (200 m). For a whale, that’s a whisper. Any predator would have to be very close to detect this parent- child communication.

God’s provision for his creatures shows up again and again in the abilities he gave them to thrive in a sin-cursed world.

This article was taken from Answers magazine, January–February, 2020, 23.