Clicks from Cuvier’s beaked whales, Ziphius cavirostris (L)

Recordings of pulsed sounds (clicks) from Cuvier’s beaked whales are presented. Such recordings have not been reported in the literature before. Spectrogram analysis of data collected off SW Crete (Greece) from 1998 to 2000 revealed numerous sequences of clicks. Click pulses had durations of about 1 ms and their energy content in the audible spectrum presented a narrow peak between 13 and 17 kHz. Sequences of 35–105 clicks, with duration 15–44 s, were separated by short intersequence pauses of 3–10 s. Interclick intervals appeared fairly constant, primarily oscillating between 0.40 and 0.50 s. Characteristics of Cuvier’s beaked whale clicks were consistent with echolocating cetaceans, suggesting that this species do echolocate.