WEBVTT 00:08.433 --> 00:13.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% If you're in Maui during the height of humpback whale season, and you just go for a swim in 00:15.433 --> 00:19.433 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% the ocean, typically you will hear the chorusing in the background of humpback whale song. 00:24.033 --> 00:29.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Humpback whale males are the ones who sing. 00:31.000 --> 00:34.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The humpback whale song is kind of other-worldly because it combines these elements of low 00:37.533 --> 00:42.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% frequency sounds together with these really high notes and all kinds of things sort of 00:43.266 --> 00:45.466 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% in between. 00:45.466 --> 00:48.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And that's part of the reason what makes the song so interesting and unique because you 00:48.833 --> 00:53.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% really get the sense that the whales are trying to kind of show off the range. 00:55.766 --> 00:59.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It's quite beautiful and melodic and other than human language, it's been touted as 01:01.166 --> 01:04.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% one of the most complex vocalizations in the animal kingdom. 01:04.333 --> 01:06.400 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Surfacing. 01:06.400 --> 01:11.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Each year, approximately half of the North Pacific humpback whale population migrates 01:13.000 --> 01:16.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% roughly 3,000 miles from its feeding grounds in Southeastern Alaska to its breeding 01:17.733 --> 01:20.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% grounds in Hawai. 01:20.633 --> 01:25.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The majority of the whales will be here between January and March. 01:25.600 --> 01:30.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When they're in the breeding grounds, other than newborn calves that are feeding on their 01:31.966 --> 01:35.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% mother's milk, the whales are largely fasting. 01:35.666 --> 01:40.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So the amount of time that they can spend here is going to be dictated by their energy 01:40.033 --> 01:43.300 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% stores that they've built up over the summer. 01:43.300 --> 01:48.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% While in the breeding grounds the male whales perform their haunting song. 01:49.733 --> 01:54.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% All the whales in Hawai sing approximately the same song. 01:54.066 --> 01:59.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Based on genetics, now there is believed to be 14 distinct population segments of humpback 01:59.800 --> 02:02.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% whales around the world. 02:02.066 --> 02:06.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% There are very large differences between the song that is produced, let's say here in the 02:06.933 --> 02:10.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% North Pacific and what we have in the South Pacific, because those are entirely different 02:10.966 --> 02:15.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% populations and those whales do not interact with each other. 02:15.866 --> 02:18.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% There's three or four other whales singing 02:18.566 --> 02:23.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When the breeding season starts, the whales are singing the same song that they ended 02:24.400 --> 02:26.300 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% with at the previous season. 02:26.300 --> 02:30.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The song evolves in certain ways over the course of a breeding season. 02:31.866 --> 02:36.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% There may be innovators in the singing community in Hawai. 02:36.533 --> 02:41.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It may be that there are whales from other breeding areas that go up to similar feeding 02:43.533 --> 02:46.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% grounds and they've come down to the Hawai breeding grounds and are bringing some changes 02:48.133 --> 02:50.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in the song that the other males are adopting. 02:50.566 --> 02:55.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And that combination leads to the song kind of evolving over the course of 02:56.166 --> 02:58.233 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% a season. 02:58.233 --> 03:02.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So at the end of the season when you record a song, there is some slight differences that 03:03.533 --> 03:05.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% are very noticeable from the beginning of the season. 03:05.466 --> 03:09.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% If you record song over several years, you may hear that those small changes lead to 03:10.533 --> 03:12.666 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% large scale changes. 03:12.666 --> 03:17.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% There's still so much we don't understand even just some very basic questions as to 03:17.533 --> 03:19.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% what the function of their song is. 03:19.900 --> 03:24.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And there's just been a lot of debate about that. 03:24.733 --> 03:28.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% How do scientists study humpback whale song? 03:30.233 --> 03:33.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% And what might it tell them about the fitness of an individual whale? 03:56.600 --> 04:01.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Major funding for this program was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 04:01.533 --> 04:04.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% encouraging people to preserve and protect 04:04.400 --> 04:06.733 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% America's underwater resources. 04:06.733 --> 04:11.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And by The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation, 04:14.300 --> 04:19.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The Do Unto Others Trust and by the following. 04:42.833 --> 04:46.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Whales have long held a place in Hawaiian culture. 04:46.766 --> 04:48.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We all paid tribute to the whale. 04:48.566 --> 04:52.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% And one of the chants was aumakua, which is the guardian angel. 04:52.466 --> 04:54.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So it talks about the whale being a guardian angel 04:54.666 --> 04:56.066 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% of a family. 05:25.333 --> 05:27.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% It says that the whale exists everywhere in heaven. 05:27.766 --> 05:32.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It has a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience and is very strong and it takes care of us. 05:35.866 --> 05:40.866 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% While historically toothed whales have always played an important role in Hawaiian culture, 05:42.866 --> 05:46.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% today humpback whales are clearly the most recognized whale species in Hawai. 05:49.666 --> 05:54.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Tourists come from far and wide to observe these majestic creatures. 05:57.033 --> 06:02.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% They generate tens of millions of dollars in a tourist interest. 06:03.666 --> 06:07.366 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% The islands clear waters are also a great place for researchers to study 06:07.366 --> 06:09.466 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% the baleen whales. 06:10.900 --> 06:13.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% We have several projects that we're currently engaged in. 06:15.033 --> 06:18.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And one of them is trying to get a better handle on how song may function. 06:23.733 --> 06:28.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Scientists Adam Pack and Marc Lammers have been researching humpback whales for decades, 06:30.333 --> 06:35.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% often collaborating on different studies. 06:38.033 --> 06:43.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% To research whale song, the team works on the leeward side of Maui, inside the Hawaiian 06:44.433 --> 06:49.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. 06:49.066 --> 06:54.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% In the United States humpback whales are given special protections under the Marine Mammal 06:54.766 --> 06:56.733 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Protection Act. 06:56.733 --> 07:01.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Federal Regulations mandate that people have to stay a hundred yards away from whales. 07:05.800 --> 07:10.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% We have specialized federal permits that allow us to do our research, which includes approaching 07:13.766 --> 07:15.766 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% closer than a hundred yards. 07:18.033 --> 07:20.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Okay, we've got an animal at 12 o'clock. 07:20.900 --> 07:23.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Is he still singing? Yeah. 07:23.100 --> 07:25.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Animal 12 o'clock? How far away? 07:25.100 --> 07:27.100 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% 150 yards. 07:27.100 --> 07:29.166 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Okay. 07:29.166 --> 07:32.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% In order to be able to collect our data, we have to locate where the singer is, and the 07:35.233 --> 07:37.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% physics of underwater sound make it challenging because underwater sound travels four and 07:37.100 --> 07:40.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% a half times faster than in air, which makes the wavelengths longer. 07:40.333 --> 07:43.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So if we just stick our heads in the water, we're not going to be able to tell you where 07:43.933 --> 07:46.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the sound is coming from. 07:46.466 --> 07:50.466 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% So what we do is, we use a directional hydrophone system, which has effectively two receivers 07:50.466 --> 07:55.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that are spaced at four and a half times the spacing between our ears. 07:57.533 --> 08:00.666 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And that allows us to kind of use those kinds of amplitude differences that we would normally 08:02.666 --> 08:05.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% use in air to effectively resolve which direction the song is coming from. 08:06.400 --> 08:07.900 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Okay, right again. 08:07.900 --> 08:11.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And that allows us to then to then move closer to him. 08:12.900 --> 08:16.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We're interested in the characteristics of a humpback whale song itself. 08:17.833 --> 08:22.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The song is complex, it's hierarchically organized. 08:24.400 --> 08:29.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% What you see here is the full cycle of the song and each one of these little bright dots 08:30.766 --> 08:34.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% right here is representative of basically a song unit. 08:34.400 --> 08:39.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, for example, here we have a certain type of unit that's repeated, and one phrase begins 08:39.000 --> 08:40.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and ends about right here. 08:40.233 --> 08:44.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Another one begins and ends approximately here. 08:44.800 --> 08:48.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Then another one right over here, and then another one over here. 08:48.933 --> 08:50.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And then the final one is right there. 08:50.866 --> 08:55.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So you can see really the structure of how the units contribute to different types of 08:57.800 --> 09:00.500 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% phrases and how different phrases are organized into the themes that make up the entire song. 09:03.233 --> 09:08.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% After each song cycle, which on average lasts between ten to 18 minutes, the whale surfaces 09:09.866 --> 09:14.866 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% to breathe, before re-submerging to start the song all over again. 09:17.133 --> 09:22.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Once the animal dives back down, the team joins him in the water to collect their data. 09:24.166 --> 09:28.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The animals tend to sing kind of canted about anywhere from about 45 to 60 degrees down. 09:31.300 --> 09:36.000 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Most often they're alone, sometimes they're singing while in association with other whales. 09:38.366 --> 09:41.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The humpback whale song is just in itself very beautiful. 09:41.500 --> 09:46.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But when you get in the water with them and you're right next to a singer and you feel 09:46.000 --> 09:51.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the tips of your fins and your lungs vibrating as a result, it definitely leaves a very strong 09:51.733 --> 09:53.933 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% impression on you. 09:53.933 --> 09:57.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And it's humbling, really. 09:59.266 --> 10:02.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% To document the behavior of the whale, Adam records video while in the water. 10:02.133 --> 10:07.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% He also uses the video to measure the size of the animal using a technique called videogrammetry, 10:09.300 --> 10:12.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% which he developed with his colleagues. 10:12.000 --> 10:17.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% For that technique you need to know the distance from the camera to the whale. 10:18.933 --> 10:22.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And so I am continuously videotaping that whale and I wait for the singer to straighten 10:23.400 --> 10:25.933 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% out. 10:25.933 --> 10:29.400 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Then I have a high frequency handheld sonar device, higher than the whales can hear, basically 10:30.666 --> 10:32.833 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% it's like a fish finder. 10:32.833 --> 10:37.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When activated, this sonar device makes a clicking sound while measuring the distance 10:39.000 --> 10:42.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% between the camera and the whale. 10:42.200 --> 10:47.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This measurement displays on a small LCD screen which Adam records with his video camera. 10:49.233 --> 10:54.200 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% So when I'm back at our laboratory at UH Hilo and I'm watching video of this, I'll hear 10:56.133 --> 10:59.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a click sound and I know that's the moment I have to capture that frame on my computer. 11:01.700 --> 11:05.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And then I'll basically measure the distance on the computer screen, from the tip of the 11:07.033 --> 11:09.433 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% rostrum to the tip of the tail. 11:09.433 --> 11:14.433 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And then there's an easy algorithm that we use to calculate the length of the whale. 11:16.366 --> 11:20.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% While Adam captures video, Marc records the whale's song so its acoustic characteristics 11:21.466 --> 11:23.500 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% can be analyzed later. 11:23.500 --> 11:28.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I will position myself towards the head of the animal and start making my recordings, 11:30.233 --> 11:33.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and I also have a handheld dive sonar that I use to measure the distance that I'm at from 11:34.866 --> 11:36.966 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% the singing whale. 11:36.966 --> 11:41.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And those measurements are then used for us to then be able to calculate the source level 11:42.666 --> 11:44.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - so the amplitude that the whale is singing. 11:46.266 --> 11:49.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We'll capture as much of the song as we can and ideally if we can, we'll capture multiple 11:49.200 --> 11:52.300 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% sequences of the song. 11:52.300 --> 11:57.266 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% What we're interested in is whether that song of a particular singer carries information about 12:00.166 --> 12:02.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% that singer's fitness. 12:02.633 --> 12:07.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% If we consider that all the whales are effectively trying to produce the same song, some are 12:09.100 --> 12:12.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% going to be inherently better at it presumably than others. 12:12.933 --> 12:17.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And that's exactly what we're trying to quantify, is just that range and that variability that 12:18.666 --> 12:20.733 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% exists among the whales. 12:20.733 --> 12:25.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are some whales truly better at producing song at both low and high frequencies? 12:25.233 --> 12:30.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are other whales maybe a little bit more limited in terms of the range that they can produce? 12:32.100 --> 12:35.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are things like the loudness of the song, right, the amplitude of that song, is that 12:36.766 --> 12:37.966 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% related to larger body size? 12:39.466 --> 12:42.733 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Would that represent a singer with high levels of testosterone? 12:42.733 --> 12:47.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We're interested in testosterone levels because we know that when whales enter a reproductive 12:49.100 --> 12:52.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% stage, those levels go up quite dramatically. 12:52.166 --> 12:57.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Is the quality of the song related to their testosterone levels, which could then help 12:59.233 --> 13:02.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% them broadcast to their competitors and to their potential mates their willingness and their 13:03.233 --> 13:07.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% ability to compete vigorously. 13:07.633 --> 13:12.633 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% To measure the testosterone levels, the experts need to collect a small blubber sample after 13:14.066 --> 13:17.133 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% they've completed their in-water data collection. 13:19.633 --> 13:24.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Adam will shoot a biopsy dart, which collects a very small sample of blubber and skin using 13:26.633 --> 13:30.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a hollow tipped arrow that just bounces right off the whale and then we go and collect that. 13:32.300 --> 13:36.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% At the end of each day, Adam works up the biopsy samples in a sterile work environment. 13:38.466 --> 13:43.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So here we have a small amount of blubber, there's the skin. 13:45.833 --> 13:50.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And so, we're going to send it up to our colleague up at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and 13:52.633 --> 13:56.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they have a laboratory up there where they can do our steroid hormone analysis for us. 13:58.666 --> 14:03.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% While Marc and Adam still need to collect more data to draw definitive conclusions about 14:06.000 --> 14:08.766 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the correlations between a singer's hormone levels and its size and acoustic characteristics, 14:10.233 --> 14:13.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% they're already able to tease out some preliminary findings. 14:13.966 --> 14:17.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Larger whales may be able to produce somewhat louder songs. 14:17.933 --> 14:22.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we know that the larger whale is the more likely to win in a competition for a mate. 14:25.000 --> 14:29.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% A number of hypotheses have been proposed over the years to understand the purpose of 14:30.266 --> 14:32.233 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% the humpback's song. 14:32.233 --> 14:35.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% From helping sort of stimulating females to come into estrus to providing some sort of 14:35.833 --> 14:38.766 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% a homing beacon for migrating whales. 14:40.100 --> 14:41.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% None of them are necessarily mutually exclusive. 14:41.333 --> 14:44.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% From what we can tell it is a display. 14:44.966 --> 14:49.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When we see singers being joined by other whales it almost always is by other males. 14:53.133 --> 14:57.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% We don't see females actively approaching singers. 14:57.566 --> 15:02.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And so if other males are the ones that are really coming in and paying close attention 15:02.366 --> 15:07.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to the song of the singer, it suggests that there's something in the quality of the song 15:08.800 --> 15:12.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% that they're homing in on and trying to sort of perceive. 15:12.333 --> 15:17.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It could benefit other males who may encounter the singer again, so they have some information, 15:21.433 --> 15:26.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% so as not to engage this male in physical competition and perhaps get injured. 15:28.466 --> 15:32.300 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% While Adam and Marc are busy collecting their data, other members of the research team make 15:34.233 --> 15:37.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% observations and take photographs of the animals' tail flukes and other distinguishing 15:37.966 --> 15:39.400 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% body parts. 15:39.400 --> 15:43.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% These images will be used later for photo identification. 15:43.733 --> 15:48.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And the fluke ID that we gather is important because our historical archive of humpback 15:50.566 --> 15:54.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% whale individual identification photographs dates back to 1976. 15:54.666 --> 15:59.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% It's one of the largest archives in the world of humpback whales. 15:59.033 --> 16:04.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It contains some 23,000 images, or what we call observations of, over 7,000 individual 16:05.833 --> 16:06.800 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% whales. 16:06.800 --> 16:08.933 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% So it's a rich database. 16:08.933 --> 16:13.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Unique markings on the whales' tail flukes make it possible to distinguish between individuals. 16:15.966 --> 16:20.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% One of the whales that we came across yesterday was a singer and I was curious whether we 16:21.933 --> 16:23.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% had seen this whale before. 16:23.933 --> 16:28.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So you can see that this is a whale that we call a 75% white, meaning three quarters of 16:29.900 --> 16:32.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the ventral surface of the tail fluke is white. 16:32.700 --> 16:35.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And there is some markings like this scar, this scar. 16:35.466 --> 16:40.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And so what I did was, I took this photograph here, I'll just move it to the side. 16:41.600 --> 16:45.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And then I started going through our catalog. 16:45.500 --> 16:47.166 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% And we found a match. 16:47.166 --> 16:50.866 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% So you can see that this scar here, for example, is represented here. 16:50.866 --> 16:55.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This big line here, starting out thick and getting thin, is represented here. 16:55.266 --> 16:58.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% This little white scar is here. 16:58.233 --> 17:03.233 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% This is from March 10th, 2019, the new photograph. 17:03.233 --> 17:08.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And this is February 20th, 2006, so that represents a 14 year span. 17:10.900 --> 17:15.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And if we continue to go back in the catalog, we can begin to start tracing the full life 17:17.900 --> 17:22.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% history of this whale as it's been seen in Hawai, which is incredible to trace that 17:23.233 --> 17:24.500 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% life history. 17:24.500 --> 17:26.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And it makes you fall in love with these animals. 17:26.500 --> 17:31.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And as a scientist, it makes me want to learn more about them, so that I could then teach 17:32.100 --> 17:33.133 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% about them to others. 17:33.133 --> 17:36.666 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% So they care about them. 17:36.666 --> 17:41.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% There's our animal ahead of us, 12 o'clock 17:41.566 --> 17:43.666 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% 50 yards. 17:43.666 --> 17:48.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Unlike other whale species, humpbacks do not stay together in permanent pods, but instead 17:50.766 --> 17:54.233 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% associate in various temporary social groupings. 17:54.233 --> 17:58.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They'll be together from anywhere from a few hours to maybe to a couple of days 17:58.933 --> 18:01.033 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% or so at a time. 18:01.033 --> 18:04.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When you're in the breeding grounds one of the most common pod types that you'll see 18:04.833 --> 18:07.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% are mothers with newborn calves. 18:07.933 --> 18:12.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Often you'll see a pair of whales and most often that pair is composed of a male and 18:13.166 --> 18:14.366 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% a female. 18:14.366 --> 18:15.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Females without calves are very coveted. 18:16.366 --> 18:18.400 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% They're prized by males. 18:18.400 --> 18:22.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The competitive pod is where you have a female that has multiple males that are trying 18:23.900 --> 18:27.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to effectively gain exclusive access to her. 18:27.533 --> 18:32.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The whale that at that point has access to her, we call the primary escort. 18:32.333 --> 18:37.333 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And then you have multiple whales, usually in the periphery, who are the so-called secondary 18:37.900 --> 18:39.933 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% escorts. 18:39.933 --> 18:43.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And some of them will become active challengers to the principal escort. 18:43.333 --> 18:47.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% He may do all these displays, right, to show his strengths. 18:47.466 --> 18:52.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And so these include things like blocking behavior by the male closest to the female, 18:54.366 --> 18:58.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a head lunge, or blowing a trail of bubbles from the blowhole, to more vigorous contest 19:00.300 --> 19:04.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% competition in which the male will go chase a secondary escort or will go and will strike it 19:07.233 --> 19:12.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% hard with its body or its tail flukes, sometimes causing injury, blood. 19:14.733 --> 19:17.633 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And these are all efforts by the male to effectively kind of discourage other males from coming 19:19.066 --> 19:23.233 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in and trying to dislodge him from his position with a female. 19:23.233 --> 19:28.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So these displays, whether they be these sort of physical displays that we observe or the 19:30.266 --> 19:33.866 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% song, maybe ways that competitors use to sort of gauge each other and to determine whether 19:36.600 --> 19:41.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% it's really worth it to go in and try to take that other whale on physically. 19:42.733 --> 19:44.833 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Keep your eyes open, now, though. 19:44.833 --> 19:47.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Okay, I've got starboard beam. 19:47.566 --> 19:49.733 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Port beam. 19:49.733 --> 19:54.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% To further study the various pod types and behaviors, the experts also place acoustic 19:55.933 --> 19:59.033 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% suction cup tags on whales. 19:59.033 --> 20:00.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We have to get quite close to the whale. 20:00.966 --> 20:02.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% This is good speed. This is good speed. 20:02.433 --> 20:04.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Let's see if he takes a couple of breaths. 20:04.366 --> 20:07.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And we have to reach out with a long pole 20:07.166 --> 20:10.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% to actually physically attach the tag to the whale. 20:10.533 --> 20:15.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The whole tagging process, it is both exhilarating and, and also a fairly stressful. 20:16.666 --> 20:18.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% A whale right here and a whale up ahead. 20:18.133 --> 20:21.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Second whale is closer at the surface, stand by. 20:21.266 --> 20:23.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Wait, he's turning, turning. 20:25.700 --> 20:30.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So once the tag is successfully on, as you can imagine, the first thing that happens 20:30.766 --> 20:31.733 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% is, there's a big cheer. 20:31.733 --> 20:35.566 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Yes. Good job! 20:35.566 --> 20:38.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The next step is to follow the whale with the 20:38.566 --> 20:42.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% tag and keep up with the tag, because it's an expensive tag 20:42.166 --> 20:44.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and we don't want to lose it. 20:44.233 --> 20:48.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We typically only get a glimpse of the whales while they're at the surface, so we can only 20:50.033 --> 20:52.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% really see behaviorally what they're doing when they're within our visual view. 20:52.166 --> 20:57.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But the tag has specialized sensors that actually measure the motion of the whale. 20:57.100 --> 21:01.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So we can look at the diving pattern, but also how the whale is moving through the water. 21:01.766 --> 21:06.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It has what are called tri-axial accelerometers, which measure the whale's movement in three 21:06.566 --> 21:08.866 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% dimensions. 21:08.866 --> 21:11.133 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And then along with all of that are the acoustics. 21:11.133 --> 21:14.100 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% What are the sounds that are produced? 21:14.100 --> 21:18.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% What's their nature, what's their frequency, how loud are they and when are they produced? 21:18.333 --> 21:22.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are they produced as a whale is moving rapidly through the water, are they produced while 21:22.266 --> 21:26.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the whale is diving or are they more frequent when the whale is resting or coming to the 21:26.300 --> 21:27.300 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% surface? 21:29.266 --> 21:32.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It appears that there's a wide variety of social sounds that these animals produce. 21:33.066 --> 21:35.800 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% That's fascinating. 21:37.833 --> 21:40.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% The scientists closely follow a tagged whale using a VHF transmitter that can pick up sound 21:42.266 --> 21:47.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% signals from the tag when the whale is at the surface. 21:47.800 --> 21:49.333 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% We pick up some beeps. 21:49.333 --> 21:52.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Once it goes back down, then it goes silent again. 21:52.433 --> 21:56.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And at that point we effectively kind of lose all control over what happens next. 21:56.966 --> 22:00.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And that's the part that can get a little bit stressful because the whale can then go 22:00.700 --> 22:02.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% wherever he or she decides to go. 22:02.966 --> 22:05.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% It can go into rough waters where we can't follow it. 22:05.666 --> 22:10.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% If the tag stays on for extended periods, for example, overnight, we can't continue 22:10.533 --> 22:12.133 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% to follow the whale. 22:12.133 --> 22:16.133 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% More often than not though, the tag will stay on for a few hours. 22:16.133 --> 22:21.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Tag came off. Do you see it? I don't see it. 22:22.766 --> 22:27.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% It's right here. Right here at 5 o'clock. We went right by it. 22:27.166 --> 22:31.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Once the tag falls off, it's designed so that it will sort of bob up and down in the water 22:33.866 --> 22:36.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and expose the antenna and then we get continuous beeps and that is a cue that tells us, okay, 22:38.400 --> 22:39.966 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the tag's fallen off the whale. 22:39.966 --> 22:42.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Now we have to go into recovery mode. 22:42.000 --> 22:45.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And of course that's the gem right there, right? 22:45.933 --> 22:50.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And we go back to the laboratory and then we download that data. 22:50.166 --> 22:51.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% It's coming right here. 22:51.633 --> 22:52.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% There's another one in front of us 12 o'clock. 22:52.966 --> 22:56.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Okay, let's try to pace this guy. 22:56.600 --> 22:58.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% We may want to go for the second whale right here. 22:58.533 --> 22:59.233 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Stand by. 22:59.233 --> 23:00.633 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Let him commit. 23:00.633 --> 23:01.833 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Stand by. 23:01.833 --> 23:03.833 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Okay, here we go. 23:05.666 --> 23:08.733 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% We got her, tag on. 23:08.733 --> 23:10.800 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Tag on, good job. 23:10.800 --> 23:15.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% More tags will need to be deployed on different animals found in a variety of pod settings 23:17.833 --> 23:21.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to answer some of the deeper questions, but the experts can already glean some information 23:22.133 --> 23:24.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% from the whales' tagged so far. 23:24.633 --> 23:29.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% One of the sort of data streams that we can look at from the tag is the animals' dive 23:29.233 --> 23:31.300 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% profile. 23:31.300 --> 23:35.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The tag went on here at the beginning of the file and the whale did some dives down to 23:36.300 --> 23:38.433 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% about 70 or 80 meters or so. 23:38.433 --> 23:42.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% At the time, this whale was still affiliated with another whale. 23:42.600 --> 23:47.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And then the two whales separated and our whale with the tag started to sing. 23:49.033 --> 23:52.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% He did that multiple cycles, for a few hours at a time. 23:52.666 --> 23:57.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And then later in the afternoon, he stopped singing and he started to affiliate with some 23:57.666 --> 23:59.800 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% other whales. 23:59.800 --> 24:03.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And you can now see that the dive profile becomes much more erratic and you can see 24:03.166 --> 24:06.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% evidence of the animal interacting with other whales. 24:06.366 --> 24:10.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Then at some point in the night he went back to singing again. 24:10.333 --> 24:15.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So this kind of gives us a glimpse of at least a portion of the animal's day and how much 24:17.166 --> 24:21.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% time this whale, at least, spent singing versus interacting with other whales. 24:23.666 --> 24:28.600 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% And it's this kind of information that, to us, is very interesting and useful because as 24:30.600 --> 24:33.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we collect more and more of these data, we can start to build kind of a picture of how 24:35.633 --> 24:39.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% these animals are spending their time, how much of their time do they have to spend resting 24:40.766 --> 24:44.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% versus actively engaged in competition with other whales. 24:47.933 --> 24:51.433 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Many mysteries remain. 24:51.433 --> 24:56.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Humpback whales are charismatic animals that have long beguiled humans with their moving 24:58.400 --> 25:01.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% song and thrilling displays - including the dedicated scientists striving to unlock 25:06.833 --> 25:11.833 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the secrets of these giant, ancient mariners. 25:13.266 --> 25:17.133 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Humpback whales are an integral part of the marine ecosystem. 25:17.133 --> 25:20.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Because they are feeding on schooling fish, 25:20.333 --> 25:21.600 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% as well as krill, 25:21.600 --> 25:24.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% they're what we call a sentinel species. 25:25.600 --> 25:28.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So they are a reflection of the health of the oceans. 25:28.433 --> 25:33.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And so it's important that we not only understand their role in the ecosystem, but that we 25:34.500 --> 25:37.733 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% maintain healthy population. 25:37.733 --> 25:42.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% lama kohol- please take care of the whale. 26:11.566 --> 26:16.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Major funding for this program was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 26:18.333 --> 26:21.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% encouraging people to preserve and protect America's underwater resources 26:23.300 --> 26:28.300 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And by The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation, 26:29.700 --> 26:34.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the Do Unto Others Trust, and by the following.