Whales are in general, highly social creatures that move under water in groups called ‘pods’. To communicate and socialize with each other, they use different kinds of sounds; namely, clicks whistles and pulsed calls. Let’s see what these sounds are, and how they help the marine mammals.
Clicks are made by whales for purposes of navigation and identification of physical surroundings. They also help to distinguish between friendly creatures and enemies.
The other two sounds- whistles and pulsed calls- are exclusively used during social interactions. The latter which are similar to squeaks, or screams, is rather more frequent.
Surprisingly, there are differing vocal dialects existing between different pods. Perhaps this is why whales can differentiate between familiar whales and stranger whales.
In addition to the above mentioned sounds, the marine mammals also make loud slapping sounds on the surface of the water, using tails and fins. This can be heard for very long distances, and are thought to be warning signs, or a tool to scare other smaller fishes.