Whales: An Unforgettable Journey Page #2

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must approach near enough

to check the general health

of an individual whale

by close inspection of its skin.

Though the diver is here

to observe the whale

her subject seems

just as interested in her.

Observing whales in their

habitat can be dangerous.

A blow from a fluke

that weighs a ton

could easily render

a diver unconscious.

Eye to eye across the gulf

between species.

Although we've learned

a great deal about Right Whales-

an enormous mystery remains.

We don't know precisely

where they all go

when they leave

Peninsula Valdes.

We know only that

they'll be back again next year.

Another chapter in the whale

story can be found off Hawaii

a major breeding and calving

ground for Humpback Whales

a species we know better

than most other whales.

The sailing vessel Odyssey

will allow Payne's team

to both study and live

among the whales.

Almost immediately

whales appear.

Though many people

are unaware of it

dolphins are actually toothed

whales, along with porpoises

the smallest of some

75 whale species in the world.

Most whales, like the Humpbacks,

have to be sought out

but dolphins often come to us.

Dolphins spend their lives

immersed in a sea of sound.

They use whistles

to keep in touch

and rapid clicks to examine their world

through echolocation.

What captivates Payne most

about Humpbacks

is their underwater sounds.

But to hear them, he has to

leave the noise of the Odyssey.

In the 1960's, Roger P. and Scott McVay

discovered that Humpbacks sing

and Payne has spent years recording

their songs through hydrophones.

We know next to nothing about what

the songs of Humpback Whales mean.

We do know

that only the males sing.

It seems to be done to attract females

and to challenge other males.

Everyone in this area

sings the same song

but it changes subtly over time.

Like human singers,

Humpbacks often employ rhymes

apparently to help them

remember complex songs.

Suspended head down

and motionless

they sometimes sing

for hours at a time.

The songs are shatteringly loud.

Biologist Debbie Glockner-Ferrari

has worked in Hawaii since 1975

studying humpback whales.

At age six, her daughter is

already an eager assistant.

I love working with whales,

especially mothers and calves

but they can be

difficult to study

because they're often pursued

by groups of aggressive males.

Though they may look

peaceful underwater

ten enormous whale Humpbacks

rushing by can pose a 400-ton threat

to any researcher who happens

to get in their path.

Physical contact with their mothers

is very important to the babies.

As an observer my own relationship

varies from whale to whale.

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