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- Title
Environment: Whale-call response to masking boat noise.
- Authors
Foote, Andrew D.; Osbornet, Richard W.; Hoelzel, A. Rus
- Abstract
Background noise can interfere with the detection and discrimination of crucial signals among members of a species. Here we investigate the vocal behaviour in the presence and absence of whale-watcher boat traffic of three social groups (pods) of killer whales (Orcinus orca) living in the nearshore waters of Washington state. We find longer call durations in the presence of boats for all three pods, but only in recent recordings made following a period of increasing boat traffic. This result indicates that these whales adjust their behaviour to compensate for anthropogenic noise once it reaches a threshold level.
- Subjects
WASHINGTON (State); UNITED States; KILLER whale; ANIMAL sounds; ANIMAL communication; ANIMAL social behavior; ANIMAL behavior
- Publication
Nature, 2004, Vol 428, Issue 6986, p910
- ISSN
0028-0836
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/428910a