Underwater sounds recorded from migrating bowhead whales, B a l a e n a m y s t i c e t u s, in 1979

Bowhead whale sounds were recorded from sonobuoys in the course of conducting aerial surveys of the Beaufort Sea during spring and fall migrations in 1979. Sounds were recorded over 28 day (spring) and 12 day (fall) investigations. Most bowhead sounds in both spring and fall samples were low-frequency (below 800 Hz) moans of two classes: simple and complex. Repetitive moan sequences were found in the spring sample and are regarded as simple songs. No such repetitive sequences were found in fall recordings. High-frequency (to 4 kHz) trumpeting calls were recorded in the fall. No particular behavior, nor environmental condition, could be associated with bowhead sound production.