Acoustic cues available for ranging by humpback whales

Field measurements of sound propagation in a humpback whale habitat were collected to identify cues that a humpback whale might use to estimate its distance from sound sources. The data show that spectral cues are sufficient for estimating the relative distance a sound has traveled in such environments, and that several other cues may also provide useful information. It is suggested that listening humpback whales may use multiple cues in parallel to determine the range to singing whales.