The list of the best ‘singers’ among mammals can never be complete without humpback whales. These aquatic animals are capable of producing complex series of sounds that are close to songs. The whale songs, as they are popularly called, consist of a variety of loud, low-pitched tones, moans, whines and grunts that are often melodious in nature.
But most importantly, the songs have themes that are sung in a precise order, and change slowly over years.
The songs typically last 8-15 minutes, and are repeated for several hours at a stretch.
Unlike other ‘singers’, humpback whales do not produce sound through vocal cords, simply because they don’t have any. Their songs are created when air is pushed out of the blowhole located on top of the animal’s head.
Interestingly, some male humpbacks, like the North Atlantic ones, can be heard singing the same song together even when they are miles apart.