What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to evaluate the variability of songs produced by male humpback whales within a population and how this variability may encode fitness information.

May 14, 2026

Humpback whales in a population sing the same song—Or do they? Assessing intra- and inter-individual song variability on the Hawaiian Breeding ground

Key Points

This research aims to evaluate the variability of songs produced by male humpback whales within a population and how this variability may encode fitness information.
Recorded 2–20 distinct songs from 14 mature humpback whale singers using acoustic suction-cup tags and diver-deployed hydrophones.
Analyzed song structure at the unit level to assess intra- and inter-individual variability.
Collected data off Maui, Hawai'i, over the breeding season.
Found that song structure is much more variable on the individual level than previously thought.
Identified significant intra-individual variability that raises questions about the song's function.
Highlighted the importance of sample size for tracking song changes among individuals and populations.

Abstract

Male humpback whales produce an elaborate acoustic display during the breeding season known as “song.” Songs are hierarchically structured and repeated in song sessions often for hours. While there is debate on how much the specific structure differs among populations, it is widely accepted that all males within one population sing approximately the same song. Various parameters, including related to song structure, are proposed to encode fitness information for individual males. Recordings of singers, typically collected with dipping hydrophones and passive acoustic monitoring arrays, are used to identify gradual changes of song over the season and differences among populations. However, understanding intra-individual variability in song structure is crucial for understanding inter-individual and inter-population variability. We recorded 2–20 distinct songs from 14 mature singers off Maui, Hawaiʻi, with acoustic suction-cup tags and diver-deployed hydrophones. Characterizing these songs up to the unit level, we found that the structure appears to be much more variable on the individual level than previously considered. These findings raise new questions about the song’s function within the humpback whale breeding system. They also highlight the importance of sample size for tracking song differences and changes among individuals and populations.

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